NameCensus.

UK surname

Browning

An occupational surname referring to someone with dark hair or skin, or someone who makes brown dye.

In the 1881 census there were 6,070 people recorded with the Browning surname, ranking it #726 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,368, ranked #1,061, down from #726 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Dalserf. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redditch, Stroud and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Browning is 7,252 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.9%.

1881 census count

6,070

Ranked #726

Modern count

6,368

2016, ranked #1,061

Peak year

1911

7,252 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Browning had 6,070 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #726 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,368 in 2016, ranked #1,061.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,252 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Browning surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Browning surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Browning 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 3,814 #745
1861 historical 3,709 #760
1881 historical 6,070 #726
1891 historical 6,059 #769
1901 historical 7,173 #767
1911 historical 7,252 #716
1997 modern 6,504 #998
1998 modern 6,816 #990
1999 modern 6,832 #996
2000 modern 6,711 #1,007
2001 modern 6,587 #1,001
2002 modern 6,710 #1,004
2003 modern 6,471 #1,028
2004 modern 6,478 #1,026
2005 modern 6,290 #1,047
2006 modern 6,201 #1,057
2007 modern 6,272 #1,053
2008 modern 6,312 #1,051
2009 modern 6,477 #1,047
2010 modern 6,602 #1,045
2011 modern 6,515 #1,048
2012 modern 6,362 #1,052
2013 modern 6,403 #1,067
2014 modern 6,495 #1,055
2015 modern 6,404 #1,058
2016 modern 6,368 #1,061

Geography

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Where Brownings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Dalserf and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redditch, Stroud, Blaenau Gwent, Exeter and Bedford. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Dalserf Lanark
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redditch 003 Redditch
2 Stroud 012 Stroud
3 Blaenau Gwent 003 Blaenau Gwent
4 Exeter 014 Exeter
5 Bedford 004 Bedford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Browning

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Browning

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

Browning is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Browning

The surname Browning has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is a descriptive occupational name derived from the Old English words "brun" and "browne," meaning brown or brown-haired person. The name likely referred to someone who worked with brown dyes or fabrics, or perhaps someone with a distinctly brown complexion.

In the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, dated 1273, there is a record of a Robert le Brunnynge, an early spelling variation of the name. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Browning surname, but it does mention several place names that may have influenced its development, such as Brownsover in Warwickshire and Brownhills in Staffordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Browning surname was Robert Browning, a renowned English poet born in 1812 and died in 1889. He is widely regarded as one of the foremost Victorian poets, known for his dramatic monologues and complex verse forms. His wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, was also a celebrated poet, born in 1806 and died in 1861.

Another notable figure with the Browning surname was John Browning, an American firearms designer born in 1855 and died in 1926. He is credited with developing several innovative and influential firearms designs, including the M1911 semi-automatic pistol and the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).

In the 16th century, Sir John Browning was a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, in 1559. He was also the owner of the Debden estate in Essex, which remained in the Browning family for several generations.

The surname Browning has also been associated with various place names, such as Browning Hill in Gloucestershire, Browning's Farm in Kent, and Browning's Piece in Suffolk. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Browning surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, the Browning surname has been recorded in various spellings, including Browninge, Brouning, Brownyng, and Brownynge, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions in earlier times. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, reflecting its deep-rooted connection to the English language and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Browning families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Browning 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. Middlesex leads with 808 Brownings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 808 1.36x
Gloucestershire 689 5.91x
Kent 677 3.34x
Hampshire 406 3.33x
Devon 403 3.26x
Surrey 377 1.30x
Somerset 349 3.65x
Sussex 278 2.77x
Lanarkshire 238 1.24x
Warwickshire 170 1.13x
Essex 126 1.07x
Staffordshire 104 0.52x
Yorkshire 100 0.17x
Lancashire 99 0.14x
Worcestershire 96 1.24x
Northamptonshire 75 1.34x
Ayrshire 72 1.62x
Renfrewshire 68 1.48x
Lincolnshire 67 0.70x
Suffolk 64 0.88x
Glamorgan 62 0.60x
Monmouthshire 60 1.40x
Nottinghamshire 56 0.70x
Durham 54 0.31x
Berkshire 51 1.14x
Bedfordshire 50 1.62x
Cornwall 48 0.71x
Wiltshire 47 0.89x
Oxfordshire 45 1.23x
Huntingdonshire 41 3.47x
Norfolk 40 0.44x
Cambridgeshire 37 0.98x
Cheshire 30 0.23x
Derbyshire 27 0.29x
Herefordshire 23 0.94x
Midlothian 19 0.24x
Royal Navy 19 2.68x
Leicestershire 17 0.26x
Fife 14 0.40x
West Lothian 14 1.56x
Dorset 13 0.33x
Hertfordshire 13 0.32x
Channel Islands 12 0.68x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.22x
Shropshire 6 0.12x
Radnorshire 4 0.83x
Stirlingshire 4 0.18x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.19x
Brecknockshire 2 0.17x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.02x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.08x
East Lothian 1 0.13x
Merionethshire 1 0.09x
Perthshire 1 0.04x
Roxburghshire 1 0.09x
Rutland 1 0.23x
Wigtownshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 112 Brownings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.94x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 112 1.94x
Whitstable 90 90.45x
Kensington London 88 2.66x
Stroud 83 36.58x
Birmingham 75 1.50x
Stoke Damerel 69 7.97x
Camberwell 68 1.79x
St Pancras London 66 1.38x
Henfield 63 163.59x
Dalserf 59 30.75x
Barony 56 1.15x
Lambeth 50 0.96x
Bisley 49 46.37x
Aston 48 1.16x
Battersea 44 2.01x
Brighton 40 1.98x
Portsea 40 1.67x
St George Hanover Square 40 3.82x
Paddington London 38 1.74x
Croydon 36 2.24x
Hornsey 36 4.79x
Southampton St Mary 36 4.70x
West Ham 36 1.39x
Chelsea London 34 1.90x
Govan 32 0.67x
Hackney London 32 0.96x
Minchinhampton 31 33.37x
Audley 29 14.60x
Buckfastleigh 29 50.78x
Glasgow 29 0.85x
Wolverhampton 29 1.88x
Cheltenham 28 3.11x
Weston Super Mare 28 11.59x
Woodchester 28 152.01x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 27 2.46x
Shoreditch London 27 1.05x
Street 26 50.21x
Tormoham 25 4.77x
Bromley 24 7.76x
Dartford 24 11.57x
Newington 24 1.09x
South Stoneham 24 9.08x
Berkeley Hamfallow 23 108.95x
St Marylebone London 23 0.72x
Eaglesham 22 77.93x
Ringwood 22 28.22x
Bow London 21 2.77x
Bristol St James St Paul 21 5.40x
Eling 21 17.01x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 21 9.84x
Limehouse London 21 3.22x
Mile End Old Town London 21 1.66x
Plymouth Charles The 21 3.85x
Plymouth St Andrew 21 2.20x
Portslade 21 34.27x
Garforth 20 44.35x
Kings Somborne 20 78.25x
Nottingham St Mary 20 0.96x
Salford 20 0.96x
Snenton 20 6.35x
Ealing 19 3.58x
Royal Navy 19 3.14x
Stewarton 19 21.58x
Walcot 19 3.73x
Bedminster 18 2.00x
Bedwellty 18 2.37x
Berkeley 18 27.74x
Canterbury St Mary 18 13.22x
Clerkenwell London 18 1.28x
Bromley London 17 1.30x
Crediton 17 14.50x
Dover St Mary Virgin 17 8.66x
Edgbaston 17 3.66x
Hampstead London 17 1.84x
Kilmarnock 17 3.21x
Louth 17 7.80x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 0.50x
Frampton On Severn 16 81.47x
Milton 16 52.81x
Stranton 16 2.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 333
Elizabeth 206
Sarah 182
Alice 110
Eliza 107
Ann 96
Ellen 96
Emma 95
Jane 93
Annie 85
Emily 68
Charlotte 49
Hannah 47
Florence 46
Edith 45
Fanny 45
Louisa 45
Harriet 44
Ada 39
Kate 39
Maria 39
Caroline 35
Clara 34
Margaret 30
Martha 29
Rose 28
Frances 26
Anne 25
Harriett 23
Susan 23
Julia 20
Catherine 18
Lucy 18
Minnie 18
Amelia 17
Eleanor 17
Jessie 17
Agnes 16
Sophia 16
Susannah 16
Laura 15
Amy 14
Esther 13
Ethel 13
Matilda 13
Rebecca 12
Bessie 10
Gertrude 10
Lizzie 10
Maud 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 349
John 279
George 210
Thomas 176
James 175
Charles 135
Henry 130
Frederick 81
Alfred 78
Edward 76
Joseph 64
Robert 64
Arthur 50
Albert 48
Harry 43
Samuel 43
Walter 43
Richard 42
Frank 35
Ernest 34
Herbert 24
Francis 23
Benjamin 16
Wm. 16
Edwin 14
Daniel 13
David 13
Thos. 12
Edgar 9
Fred 9
Fredk. 9
Stephen 9
Chas. 8
Geo. 8
Harold 8
Percy 8
Sydney 8
Edmund 7
Willm. 7
Alexander 6
Fredrick 6
Mark 6
Sidney 6
Edwd. 5
Enoch 5
Isaac 5
Leonard 5
Lewis 5
Reginald 5
Tom 5

FAQ

Browning surname: questions and answers

How common was the Browning surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,070 people were recorded with the Browning surname. That placed it at #726 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Browning surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,368 in 2016. That gives Browning a modern rank of #1,061.

What does the Browning surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone with dark hair or skin, or someone who makes brown dye.

What does the Browning map show?

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