NameCensus.

UK surname

Brotherston

In the 1881 census there were 313 people recorded with the Brotherston surname, ranking it #9,436 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 530, ranked #9,572, down from #9,436 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelso, Earlston and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kelso North, Galashiels West and IZ14.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brotherston is 552 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.3%.

1881 census count

313

Ranked #9,436

Modern count

530

2016, ranked #9,572

Peak year

2010

552 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brotherston had 313 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,436 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 530 in 2016, ranked #9,572.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 339 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Brotherston surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brotherston surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brotherston 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 205 #10,223
1861 historical 315 #8,071
1881 historical 313 #9,436
1891 historical 339 #10,089
1901 historical 313 #11,319
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 462 #9,869
1998 modern 479 #9,928
1999 modern 488 #9,846
2000 modern 481 #9,916
2001 modern 477 #9,798
2002 modern 498 #9,664
2003 modern 491 #9,612
2004 modern 488 #9,675
2005 modern 490 #9,577
2006 modern 502 #9,463
2007 modern 512 #9,412
2008 modern 510 #9,499
2009 modern 523 #9,530
2010 modern 552 #9,338
2011 modern 522 #9,645
2012 modern 524 #9,541
2013 modern 533 #9,574
2014 modern 536 #9,579
2015 modern 524 #9,678
2016 modern 530 #9,572

Geography

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Where Brotherstons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelso, Earlston, London parishes, Govan Combination and Lauder. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kelso North, Galashiels West, IZ14, Lauder and Area and Berwickshire Central. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kelso Roxburgh
2 Earlston Berwick
3 London parishes London 1
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Lauder Berwick

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kelso North Scottish Borders
2 Galashiels West Scottish Borders
3 IZ14 East Lothian
4 Lauder and Area Scottish Borders
5 Berwickshire Central Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brotherston

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brotherston

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brotherston, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Brotherston surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Brotherston household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Brotherston is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brotherston is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brotherston falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brotherston 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 Brotherston, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Brotherston families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brotherston 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. Midlothian leads with 89 Brotherstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.90x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 89 21.90x
East Lothian 47 116.97x
Roxburghshire 31 56.41x
Berwickshire 23 62.60x
Lanarkshire 22 2.24x
Northumberland 22 4.87x
Selkirkshire 19 69.24x
Ayrshire 10 4.40x
Essex 8 1.34x
Middlesex 8 0.26x
Cumberland 7 2.68x
Cheshire 6 0.90x
Renfrewshire 4 1.70x
Stirlingshire 2 1.79x
Sussex 2 0.39x
Angus 1 0.36x
Clackmannanshire 1 3.99x
Durham 1 0.11x
Gloucestershire 1 0.17x
Kent 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.21x
Peeblesshire 1 7.01x
Perthshire 1 0.73x
Surrey 1 0.07x
Warwickshire 1 0.13x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 37 Brotherstons recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.63x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 37 22.63x
Kelso 19 346.72x
South Leith 18 39.36x
Melrose 15 217.08x
Lauder 12 591.13x
Barony 10 4.03x
Govan 10 4.12x
Garvald 8 1012.66x
Ayr 7 65.30x
Cranston 7 673.08x
Dunbar 7 124.33x
Gladsmuir 7 391.06x
Leyton Low 7 57.52x
Wetheral 7 202.31x
Whitekirk Tynninghame 7 636.36x
Bolton 6 1714.29x
Colinton 6 132.45x
Cramlington 6 100.67x
Dirleton 6 379.75x
Aberlady 5 480.77x
Alnwick 5 64.43x
Ancroft 5 314.47x
Borthwick 5 274.73x
Norley 5 666.67x
North Leith 5 26.58x
Westruther 5 714.29x
Chelsea London 4 4.38x
Earlston 4 217.39x
Fulham London 4 9.09x
Galashiels 4 39.41x
Tweedmouth 4 71.05x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 3 31.22x
Edinburgh Greenside 3 55.87x
Hobkirk 3 434.78x
Newton On Ayr 3 44.12x
Abbey 2 5.58x
Brightling 2 285.71x
Ednam 2 312.50x
Glasgow 2 1.15x
Gordon 2 229.89x
Muiravonside 2 70.42x
Newton 2 145.99x
Port Glasgow 2 17.59x
Sprouston 2 186.92x
Wilton 2 33.17x
Ancrum 1 70.42x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 10.46x
Birkenhead 1 1.87x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.29x
Briston 1 113.64x
Broughton In Stokesley 1 169.49x
Cheltenham 1 2.18x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.25x
Dollar 1 38.46x
Dundee 1 0.95x
Edgbaston 1 4.22x
Edinburgh Old Church 1 30.67x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 11.86x
Kew 1 116.28x
Logie 1 20.49x
Morebattle 1 95.24x
Newlands 1 117.65x
Oxnam 1 140.85x
Stow 1 47.85x
Walthamstow 1 4.64x
West Lilburn 1 434.78x
Yester 1 103.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Isabella 3
Alice 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Christina 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Euphemia 1
Fanny 1
Georgeina 1
Grace 1
Janet 1
Margaret 1
Mildred 1
Nephzihar 1
Rosa 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Robert 3
Alexander 2
Andrew 2
Peter 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Ernest 1
George 1
Rolland 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Thos.T. 1
Walter 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Brotherston households.

FAQ

Brotherston surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brotherston surname in 1881?

In 1881, 313 people were recorded with the Brotherston surname. That placed it at #9,436 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brotherston surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 530 in 2016. That gives Brotherston a modern rank of #9,572.

What does the Brotherston map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Brotherston 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.