NameCensus.

UK surname

Brouwer

A Dutch occupational surname referring to a brewer of beer or ale.

In the 1881 census there were 9 people recorded with the Brouwer surname, ranking it #32,416 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, up from #32,416 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ashfield, Carmarthenshire and Wokingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brouwer is 136 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1333.3%.

1881 census count

9

Ranked #32,416

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

2011

136 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brouwer had 9 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,416 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 9 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Brouwer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brouwer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brouwer 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
1861 historical 3 #33,861
1881 historical 9 #32,416
1891 historical 8 #33,550
1901 historical 6 #33,591
1911 historical 7 #33,083
1997 modern 92 #28,079
1998 modern 97 #28,054
1999 modern 95 #28,465
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 92 #28,974
2004 modern 106 #27,045
2005 modern 104 #27,369
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 109 #27,253
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 128 #25,427
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 124 #26,432
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 127 #26,494
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Brouwers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ashfield, Carmarthenshire, Wokingham, Ceredigion and Cardiff. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ashfield 001 Ashfield
2 Carmarthenshire 008 Carmarthenshire
3 Wokingham 002 Wokingham
4 Ceredigion 010 Ceredigion
5 Cardiff 040 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brouwer

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brouwer

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Brouwer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Brouwer 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Brouwer is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brouwer is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brouwer falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brouwer 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Brouwer

The surname Brouwer originates from the Dutch language and can be traced back to the medieval period in the Netherlands. It is derived from the Dutch word "brouwer," which means "brewer." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who were involved in the brewing of beer, a prominent industry in the Low Countries during that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Brouwer surname can be found in the records of the city of Delft in the year 1389, where a certain Willem Brouwer was mentioned as a resident. The name also appears in various historical records from other Dutch cities, such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam, indicating its widespread usage across the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Brouwer surname gained prominence in the Netherlands, particularly in the city of Haarlem. One notable bearer of the name was Adriaen Brouwer (1605-1638), a renowned Dutch Golden Age painter known for his depictions of peasant life and genre scenes.

Another significant figure with the Brouwer surname was Hendrik Brouwer (1581-1643), a Dutch naval officer and explorer who commanded several expeditions to the East Indies and discovered the Brouwer Strait between Java and Sumbawa in 1612.

In the realm of mathematics, the name Brouwer is associated with Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer (1881-1966), a Dutch mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to topology and set theory, as well as the foundations of mathematics.

The Brouwer surname also found its way to other parts of Europe and the Americas through Dutch migration. For instance, Adam Brouwer (1631-1685) was a Dutch settler who became one of the earliest landowners in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York).

Another notable bearer of the Brouwer name was Christiaan Brouwer (1882-1939), a Dutch architect known for his work in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), where he designed numerous buildings in a style that blended traditional Dutch and local architectural elements.

Throughout history, the Brouwer surname has maintained its strong connection to its Dutch origins, reflecting the legacy of the brewing industry and the influential figures who bore this name in various fields, from art and exploration to mathematics and architecture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brouwer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brouwer 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. Surrey leads with 4 Brouwers recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.37x.

County Total Index
Surrey 4 9.37x
Lanarkshire 2 7.06x
Warwickshire 2 9.05x
Monmouthshire 1 15.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 4 Brouwers recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.43x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 4 71.43x
Birmingham 2 27.14x
Bothwell 2 259.74x
Newport 1 333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jeanne 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Jacques 2
Iszoc 1
Louis 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 Brouwer households.

FAQ

Brouwer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brouwer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9 people were recorded with the Brouwer surname. That placed it at #32,416 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brouwer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Brouwer a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Brouwer surname mean?

A Dutch occupational surname referring to a brewer of beer or ale.

What does the Brouwer map show?

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