NameCensus.

UK surname

Broughton

A locational surname derived from any of various places in England named Broughton, meaning "settlement by a brook."

In the 1881 census there were 5,564 people recorded with the Broughton surname, ranking it #797 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,761, ranked #998, down from #797 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pendle, Amber Valley and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Broughton is 7,648 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.5%.

1881 census count

5,564

Ranked #797

Modern count

6,761

2016, ranked #998

Peak year

1911

7,648 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Broughton had 5,564 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #797 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,761 in 2016, ranked #998.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,648 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Broughton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Broughton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Broughton 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 3,492 #816
1861 historical 3,689 #764
1881 historical 5,564 #797
1891 historical 6,200 #747
1901 historical 7,008 #789
1911 historical 7,648 #682
1997 modern 6,974 #933
1998 modern 7,216 #943
1999 modern 7,256 #940
2000 modern 7,188 #946
2001 modern 7,046 #940
2002 modern 7,199 #935
2003 modern 6,996 #938
2004 modern 6,989 #939
2005 modern 6,876 #946
2006 modern 6,840 #956
2007 modern 6,904 #954
2008 modern 6,872 #967
2009 modern 7,000 #972
2010 modern 7,142 #971
2011 modern 7,022 #971
2012 modern 6,808 #978
2013 modern 6,919 #984
2014 modern 6,914 #991
2015 modern 6,809 #995
2016 modern 6,761 #998

Geography

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Where Broughtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pendle, Amber Valley, North Lincolnshire, Mendip and Babergh. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 London parishes London 2
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pendle 002 Pendle
2 Amber Valley 008 Amber Valley
3 North Lincolnshire 011 North Lincolnshire
4 Mendip 014 Mendip
5 Babergh 008 Babergh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Broughton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Broughton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Broughton, 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 Broughton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Broughton 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Broughton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Broughton is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Broughton 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 Broughton 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 Broughton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Broughton

The surname Broughton originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is a locational name derived from one of the numerous places called Broughton, which is an Old English compound word, "Burg-tun," meaning a fortified town or settlement.

The earliest known record of the name Broughton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Burcheton" and "Burgeton." This suggests that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the 11th century.

In the 12th century, the name was recorded as "de Bructon" and "de Broctuna," indicating that it was a place of residence for certain individuals or families. These early spellings highlight the variations that occurred over time due to local dialects and scribal errors.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Broughton (c. 1300-1370), an English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He participated in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

Another historical figure was Hugh Broughton (1549-1612), an English scholar and Puritan divine. He was known for his expertise in Hebrew and his contributions to the translation of the Bible.

In the 17th century, Richard Broughton (1608-1687) was a prominent English clergyman and author. He served as the vicar of Kidderminster and wrote several religious works, including "An Exposition of the Ten Commandments."

During the 18th century, William Broughton (1768-1821) was a British naval officer and explorer. He played a significant role in the exploration of the Pacific Ocean and was the first European to sight the Hawaiian Islands.

Another notable figure was John Broughton (1789-1837), an English bare-knuckle boxer known as the "Father of Boxing." He was instrumental in establishing many of the rules and regulations that governed the sport in its early days.

These examples demonstrate the widespread distribution of the Broughton surname throughout England and its association with individuals from various walks of life, including military personnel, clergy, scholars, explorers, and sportsmen.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Broughton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Broughton 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. Lancashire leads with 1,070 Broughtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.66x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,070 1.66x
Yorkshire 925 1.71x
Lincolnshire 583 6.69x
Middlesex 435 0.80x
Leicestershire 311 5.15x
Surrey 263 0.99x
Derbyshire 193 2.26x
Staffordshire 190 1.03x
Northamptonshire 187 3.65x
Cheshire 158 1.31x
Kent 152 0.82x
Warwickshire 150 1.09x
Norfolk 149 1.78x
Nottinghamshire 112 1.53x
Durham 73 0.45x
Berkshire 65 1.59x
Somerset 64 0.73x
Hampshire 53 0.47x
Huntingdonshire 44 4.07x
Essex 43 0.40x
Cambridgeshire 41 1.19x
Devon 38 0.34x
Northumberland 37 0.46x
Gloucestershire 32 0.30x
Worcestershire 25 0.35x
Suffolk 20 0.30x
Oxfordshire 19 0.56x
Shropshire 17 0.36x
Isle of Man 16 1.58x
Rutland 14 3.50x
Sussex 12 0.13x
Wiltshire 12 0.25x
Hertfordshire 10 0.27x
Dorset 9 0.25x
Cumberland 8 0.17x
Glamorgan 8 0.08x
Flintshire 7 0.48x
Monmouthshire 7 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.18x
Herefordshire 6 0.27x
Westmorland 5 0.42x
Denbighshire 4 0.19x
Fife 3 0.09x
Cornwall 2 0.03x
Royal Navy 2 0.31x
Ayrshire 1 0.02x
Bedfordshire 1 0.04x
Berwickshire 1 0.15x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Midlothian 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 140 Broughtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.59x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 140 4.59x
Leicester St Margaret 109 7.40x
Barnoldswick 71 94.21x
Plumstead 64 10.33x
Salford 63 3.31x
Great Bolton 62 7.24x
Blackburn 56 3.26x
Birmingham 55 1.20x
Aston 51 1.35x
Lambeth 49 1.03x
Peterborough 49 13.21x
Shoreditch London 46 1.95x
Islington London 42 0.80x
Keighley 42 7.30x
Little Bolton 42 5.05x
Brightside Bierlow 41 3.87x
Burnley 39 7.16x
Habergham Eaves 38 6.43x
Wigston Magna 36 44.93x
Croydon 35 2.38x
Paddington London 35 1.75x
Litchurch 34 9.91x
Accrington 31 5.27x
Bermondsey 31 1.91x
Pownall Fee 31 57.62x
St Marylebone London 31 1.07x
Derby St Alkmund 29 11.35x
Colne 28 14.54x
Liverpool 28 0.71x
Wortley In Bramley 27 6.31x
Chorlton On Medlock 26 2.53x
Great Little Marsden 26 8.78x
Newington 26 1.29x
Bishopwearmouth 25 1.80x
Boston 25 9.46x
Pendleton In Salford 25 3.25x
Wednesbury 25 5.44x
Derby St Werburgh 24 4.87x
St Pancras London 24 0.55x
Toxteth Park 24 1.10x
Burton Upon Trent 23 5.35x
Knighton 23 67.51x
Street 23 48.48x
Camberwell 22 0.63x
Hulme 22 1.63x
Kirton In Lindsey 22 63.73x
Manchester 22 0.76x
Nottingham St Mary 22 1.16x
Oswaldtwistle 22 9.63x
Sheffield 22 1.28x
Thornton In Craven 22 50.78x
West Ham 22 0.93x
Woolwich 22 3.20x
Goxhill 21 97.81x
Great Gonerby 21 93.62x
Over Darwen 21 4.07x
Portsea 21 0.96x
West Derby 21 1.11x
Clayton Le Moors 20 15.95x
Northowram 20 5.28x
Bollin Fee 19 35.62x
Derby St Peter 19 6.99x
Eye 19 77.58x
Hipperholme Cum 19 8.01x
Newark Upon Trent 19 7.20x
Uffington 19 220.93x
Walsall Foreign 19 2.00x
Cleethorpes 18 35.12x
Everton 18 0.87x
Gilmorton 18 149.88x
Kensington London 18 0.59x
Tubney 18 584.42x
Barrowford Booth 17 23.76x
Bradford 17 1.30x
Chard 17 16.00x
Doncaster 17 4.31x
Great Grimsby 17 3.07x
Newchurch 17 3.21x
Kinver 16 30.18x
Manningham 16 2.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 400
Elizabeth 231
Sarah 183
Jane 111
Ann 108
Emma 98
Annie 94
Alice 81
Eliza 73
Ellen 72
Emily 63
Martha 62
Margaret 61
Hannah 50
Harriet 38
Edith 37
Florence 37
Ada 36
Charlotte 35
Fanny 34
Caroline 30
Harriett 30
Maria 27
Catherine 24
Louisa 24
Clara 23
Lucy 23
Susan 23
Anne 20
Amy 19
Isabella 19
Elizth. 18
Kate 18
Rebecca 18
Agnes 17
Frances 17
Ruth 17
Susannah 17
Lydia 15
Eleanor 14
Ethel 14
Matilda 14
Amelia 12
Rose 12
Nancy 10
Betsy 9
Helen 9
Esther 8
Gertrude 8
Laura 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 329
William 329
Thomas 184
James 175
George 159
Henry 111
Charles 105
Joseph 97
Robert 77
Samuel 73
Edward 59
Alfred 56
Arthur 56
Harry 46
Richard 45
Walter 44
Albert 41
Frederick 41
Herbert 26
Ernest 23
Frank 21
David 20
Fred 20
Edwin 17
Benjamin 15
Wm. 15
Tom 13
Francis 12
Joshua 12
Matthew 11
Stephen 11
Mark 9
Thos. 9
Ambrose 8
Geo. 7
Horace 7
Isaac 7
Sidney 7
Andrew 6
Chas. 6
Daniel 6
Jas. 6
Jno. 6
Ralph 6
Edwd. 5
Enoch 5
Fredk. 5
Josiah 5
Peter 5
Simeon 5

FAQ

Broughton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Broughton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,564 people were recorded with the Broughton surname. That placed it at #797 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Broughton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,761 in 2016. That gives Broughton a modern rank of #998.

What does the Broughton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from any of various places in England named Broughton, meaning "settlement by a brook."

What does the Broughton map show?

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