NameCensus.

UK surname

Brothwell

An English surname derived from a place name indicating someone who lived near a spring or well.

In the 1881 census there were 236 people recorded with the Brothwell surname, ranking it #11,540 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 449, ranked #10,816, up from #11,540 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Botolph, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St James Clerkenwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Huntingdonshire and South Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brothwell is 509 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.3%.

1881 census count

236

Ranked #11,540

Modern count

449

2016, ranked #10,816

Peak year

1998

509 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brothwell had 236 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,540 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 449 in 2016, ranked #10,816.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 369 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Brothwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brothwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brothwell 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 190 #10,852
1861 historical 163 #14,242
1881 historical 236 #11,540
1891 historical 304 #11,005
1901 historical 332 #10,863
1911 historical 369 #9,867
1997 modern 489 #9,453
1998 modern 509 #9,462
1999 modern 492 #9,784
2000 modern 500 #9,632
2001 modern 495 #9,544
2002 modern 493 #9,728
2003 modern 471 #9,902
2004 modern 481 #9,779
2005 modern 476 #9,783
2006 modern 458 #10,109
2007 modern 470 #10,012
2008 modern 471 #10,091
2009 modern 470 #10,324
2010 modern 493 #10,161
2011 modern 486 #10,168
2012 modern 463 #10,457
2013 modern 456 #10,722
2014 modern 464 #10,645
2015 modern 454 #10,751
2016 modern 449 #10,816

Geography

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Where Brothwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Botolph, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St James Clerkenwell, Braceby and Ewerby with Ewerby Thorpe. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Huntingdonshire, South Kesteven, Mid Suffolk and Bolsover. 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 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
4 Braceby Lincolnshire
5 Ewerby with Ewerby Thorpe Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 003 South Holland
2 Huntingdonshire 001 Huntingdonshire
3 South Kesteven 005 South Kesteven
4 Mid Suffolk 005 Mid Suffolk
5 Bolsover 005 Bolsover

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brothwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brothwell

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Brothwell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Brothwell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Brothwell is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brothwell is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brothwell falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brothwell

The surname Brothwell has its origins in the county of Yorkshire, England, and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "broth" meaning brook or stream, and "well" meaning a spring or source of water. This suggests that the name was originally a place name referring to a settlement near a stream or well.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brothwell appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Brodewelle. This was a manor in the West Riding of Yorkshire, held by a Norman nobleman named Radulfus.

In the 13th century, records show a Johannes de Brodewelle, indicating that the name was being used as a surname by this time. The spelling Brothwell became more common in later centuries, though variations like Brodwell, Brodewell, and Brathwell were also used.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Brothwell (c. 1452-1530), a member of the English gentry from Yorkshire. He served as a justice of the peace and held lands in the village of Brotherton, which may have been the original place name from which the surname derived.

Another prominent individual was John Brothwell (c. 1520-1598), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Nottingham and Prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Virginia Company, with a Richard Brothwell listed as one of the early settlers in the colony of Virginia in 1623.

A more recent example is Don Brothwell (1917-2006), a British anthropologist and expert on the study of human remains. He made significant contributions to the field of bioarchaeology and wrote several books on the subject.

Other notable individuals with the surname Brothwell include the British chemist Dennis Brothwell (1923-2008), who conducted research on the preservation of archaeological materials, and the English cricketer Arthur Brothwell (1891-1975), who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brothwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brothwell 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. Lincolnshire leads with 148 Brothwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.21x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 148 40.21x
Nottinghamshire 29 9.35x
Yorkshire 17 0.75x
Derbyshire 15 4.16x
Middlesex 13 0.56x
Kent 5 0.64x
Leicestershire 4 1.57x
Brecknockshire 2 4.34x
Hampshire 2 0.42x
Lancashire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Welbourn in Lincolnshire leads with 16 Brothwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 3636.36x.

Place Total Index
Welbourn 16 3636.36x
Ewerby 12 3333.33x
Billingborough 11 1170.21x
Leasingham 10 3448.28x
Sapperton 10 9090.91x
Tydd St Mary 10 1369.86x
Skirbeck 9 436.89x
Warsop 9 1097.56x
Brightside Bierlow 8 17.88x
Osbournby 8 2051.28x
Ripley 8 179.37x
Wragby 8 2000.00x
Braceby 7 7777.78x
Dronfield 7 151.52x
Dunston 7 1147.54x
Nottingham St Mary 7 8.72x
Scopwick 7 2187.50x
Batley 5 23.06x
Kirkby Underwood 5 2941.18x
Snenton 5 41.02x
Clerkenwell London 4 7.36x
Deptford St Paul 4 6.60x
Nether Hallam 4 12.96x
Swinstead 4 1428.57x
South Rauceby 3 967.74x
St Botolph Lincoln 3 113.21x
St Luke London 3 8.13x
Arnold 2 44.15x
East Markham 2 338.98x
Great Grimsby 2 8.56x
Leicester St Mary 2 9.70x
Nocton 2 408.16x
Somerby In Grantham 2 212.77x
Tottenham 2 5.46x
Aberllunvey 1 833.33x
Aldershot 1 6.33x
Alverstoke 1 5.85x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.68x
Benniworth 1 333.33x
Boston 1 8.95x
Branston 1 500.00x
Chelsea London 1 1.44x
Edenham 1 227.27x
Hockerton 1 1250.00x
Manthorpe Cum Little 1 35.59x
North Rauceby 1 476.19x
Orby 1 312.50x
Paddington London 1 1.18x
Penshurst 1 75.76x
Ropsley 1 196.08x
Rothley 1 120.48x
Sibsey 1 120.48x
Silk Willoughby 1 454.55x
Spalding 1 13.70x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.47x
St Pancras London 1 0.54x
Sutton In Ashfield 1 14.86x
Talgarth 1 87.72x
Temple Bruer 1 625.00x
Whaplode 1 80.00x
Winthorpe 1 500.00x
Worksop 1 10.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Elizabeth 17
Sarah 7
Annie 6
Charlotte 6
Ann 5
Emma 5
Fanny 5
Betsy 4
Alice 3
Harriet 3
Jane 3
Lucy 3
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Louisa 2
Ada 1
Alvena 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Betsey 1
C.A. 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Eleanor 1
Elisa 1
Elisabeth 1
Hannah 1
Ida 1
Julia 1
Lilly 1
Malita 1
Matilda 1
Rebecca 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 15
George 9
Thomas 9
Benjamin 7
Richard 6
James 5
Charles 3
Fred 3
Tom 3
Turnball 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Jarvis 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
Bennitt 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fras.Jas 1
Fras.Jas. 1
Fredric 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Hill 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Reuben 1
Walton 1
Watton 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Brothwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brothwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 236 people were recorded with the Brothwell surname. That placed it at #11,540 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brothwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 449 in 2016. That gives Brothwell a modern rank of #10,816.

What does the Brothwell surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name indicating someone who lived near a spring or well.

What does the Brothwell map show?

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