NameCensus.

UK surname

Broster

In the 1881 census there were 501 people recorded with the Broster surname, ranking it #6,766 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 813, ranked #6,817, down from #6,766 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, Leek and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Cheshire West and Chester and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Broster is 823 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 62.3%.

1881 census count

501

Ranked #6,766

Modern count

813

2016, ranked #6,817

Peak year

1998

823 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Broster had 501 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,766 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 813 in 2016, ranked #6,817.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 750 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Broster surname distribution map

The map shows where the Broster surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Broster surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Broster over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 394 #6,105
1861 historical 412 #6,237
1881 historical 501 #6,766
1891 historical 622 #6,214
1901 historical 678 #6,439
1911 historical 750 #5,740
1997 modern 765 #6,776
1998 modern 823 #6,609
1999 modern 821 #6,663
2000 modern 802 #6,757
2001 modern 769 #6,849
2002 modern 776 #6,950
2003 modern 767 #6,884
2004 modern 776 #6,837
2005 modern 752 #6,941
2006 modern 771 #6,835
2007 modern 773 #6,887
2008 modern 781 #6,886
2009 modern 806 #6,843
2010 modern 812 #6,930
2011 modern 801 #6,944
2012 modern 814 #6,743
2013 modern 803 #6,933
2014 modern 817 #6,861
2015 modern 809 #6,860
2016 modern 813 #6,817

Geography

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Where Brosters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, Leek, Liverpool, Tarvin (Tarvin), Priors Hay and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Cheshire West and Chester and Shropshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 Leek Staffordshire
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Tarvin (Tarvin), Priors Hay Cheshire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 030 Kirklees
2 Cheshire West and Chester 027 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Shropshire 031 Shropshire
4 Cheshire West and Chester 033 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Cheshire West and Chester 011 Cheshire West and Chester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Broster

These lists show first names that appear often with the Broster surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Broster

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Broster, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Broster surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Broster household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Broster is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Broster is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Broster falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Broster is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Broster, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Broster families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Broster surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cheshire leads with 221 Brosters recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.73x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 221 20.73x
Staffordshire 97 5.95x
Lancashire 90 1.57x
Yorkshire 17 0.36x
Shropshire 14 3.36x
Surrey 11 0.47x
Hampshire 10 1.01x
Denbighshire 6 3.29x
Derbyshire 5 0.66x
Devon 4 0.40x
Middlesex 4 0.08x
Flintshire 3 2.31x
Leicestershire 3 0.56x
Cumberland 2 0.48x
Kent 2 0.12x
Warwickshire 2 0.16x
Berkshire 1 0.28x
Cornwall 1 0.18x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 1.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leek Lowe in Staffordshire leads with 34 Brosters recorded in 1881 and an index of 156.83x.

Place Total Index
Leek Lowe 34 156.83x
Birkenhead 24 28.25x
West Derby 21 12.53x
Liverpool 16 4.60x
Stoke Upon Trent 16 9.26x
Tarvin Pryors Hayes 13 921.99x
Burton Upon Trent 10 26.23x
Hoose 10 500.00x
Moreton 10 980.39x
Newton In Makerfield 10 57.01x
Barnston 9 1956.52x
Camberwell 9 2.92x
Irby 9 3913.04x
Bromborough 8 361.99x
Oswestry Town 8 59.88x
Tarvin 8 1159.42x
Barrow 7 583.33x
Great Meolse 7 1044.78x
Heswall Cum Oldfield 7 476.19x
Kinderton Cum Hulme 7 777.78x
Little Neston 7 409.36x
Smallthorne 7 115.70x
Stockport 7 12.76x
Aldford 6 714.29x
Bradford 6 5.18x
Broughton In Salford 6 11.45x
Castle Church 6 61.22x
Christleton Littleton 6 389.61x
Dilhorne 6 221.40x
Macclesfield 6 12.66x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 11.22x
Cheetham 5 11.70x
Keighley 5 9.80x
Kermincham 5 1666.67x
Kingswinford 5 8.45x
Pendleton In Salford 5 7.32x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 5 40.78x
Toxteth Park 5 2.58x
Wallasey 5 137.74x
Whitchurch 5 61.73x
Bollington In 4 42.15x
Burtonwood 4 190.48x
Chester St Oswald 4 20.73x
Garston 4 23.65x
Great Neston 4 113.64x
Newcastle Under Lyme 4 13.87x
Southampton All Sts 4 23.56x
Stansty 4 199.01x
Thurstaston 4 1600.00x
Tranmere 4 10.21x
Whitby 4 162.60x
Alverstoke 3 8.38x
Gayton 3 833.33x
Higher Bebington 3 43.99x
Hulme 3 2.51x
Melton Mowbray 3 31.15x
Oakmere 3 441.18x
Titteworth 3 120.00x
Topsham 3 63.29x
Winshill 3 62.24x
Ashley 2 150.38x
Farndon 2 217.39x
Fulham London 2 2.86x
Great Boughton 2 54.50x
Haughton 2 909.09x
Hawarden 2 19.61x
Heage 2 50.00x
Horton 2 100.50x
Hurdsfield 2 30.49x
Lytham 2 22.86x
Manchester 2 0.78x
Old Stratford 2 29.03x
Putney 2 9.09x
Rickergate 2 22.73x
Tattenhall 2 110.50x
Ventnor 2 21.25x
Waverton 2 363.64x
Widnes 2 4.84x
Wrexham Abbot 2 43.67x
Westbury On Trym 1 3.12x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Broster surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 33
Sarah 24
Elizabeth 19
Ann 15
Hannah 10
Ellen 9
Jane 9
Martha 9
Eliza 8
Emma 8
Alice 7
Annie 7
Harriet 7
Anne 5
Edith 4
Emily 4
Anna 3
Gertrude 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Beatrice 2
Eleanor 2
Eliz. 2
Florence 2
Henrietta 2
Jessie 2
Maria 2
Angelina 1
Betsy 1
Beuta 1
Caroline 1
Catharine 1
Catherin 1
Catherine 1
Dorothy 1
Eliz.A. 1
Ellanor 1
Esther 1
Eve 1
Isabella 1
Ja... 1
Janny 1
Jesica 1
Keziah 1
Letitia 1
Louiza 1
Lucia 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Broster surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 35
Thomas 28
Joseph 26
William 26
George 22
James 16
Charles 12
Alfred 7
Henry 6
Samuel 6
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Daniel 3
Frederick 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Broughton 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Herbert 2
Jos. 2
Peter 2
Ralph 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Benjm. 1
David 1
Ed.B. 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Hiram 1
Jeffrey 1
Jesse 1
Josh. 1
Josh.Thos. 1
Paul 1
Percy 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Alfd. 1
Williams 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Broster surname: questions and answers

How common was the Broster surname in 1881?

In 1881, 501 people were recorded with the Broster surname. That placed it at #6,766 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Broster surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 813 in 2016. That gives Broster a modern rank of #6,817.

What does the Broster map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Broster bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.