NameCensus.

UK surname

Brownley

A locational surname derived from a location with a brownish-colored meadow or clearing.

In the 1881 census there were 191 people recorded with the Brownley surname, ranking it #13,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 271, ranked #15,874, down from #13,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Standish and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newark and Sherwood, Broadland and Gwynedd.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brownley is 285 in 2003. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.9%.

1881 census count

191

Ranked #13,224

Modern count

271

2016, ranked #15,874

Peak year

2003

285 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brownley had 191 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016, ranked #15,874.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 224 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Brownley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brownley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brownley 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 179 #13,127
1881 historical 191 #13,224
1891 historical 224 #13,760
1901 historical 173 #16,579
1911 historical 178 #16,073
1997 modern 263 #14,769
1998 modern 266 #15,053
1999 modern 267 #15,097
2000 modern 272 #14,868
2001 modern 266 #14,878
2002 modern 275 #14,819
2003 modern 285 #14,295
2004 modern 261 #15,274
2005 modern 254 #15,480
2006 modern 266 #15,076
2007 modern 269 #15,123
2008 modern 261 #15,597
2009 modern 268 #15,620
2010 modern 270 #15,896
2011 modern 268 #15,843
2012 modern 272 #15,586
2013 modern 266 #16,098
2014 modern 272 #15,949
2015 modern 273 #15,789
2016 modern 271 #15,874

Geography

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Where Brownleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Standish, Nottingham St Mary, Sheffield and Mansfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newark and Sherwood, Broadland, Gwynedd, Ashfield and Bolton. 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 Standish Lancashire
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Mansfield Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newark and Sherwood 002 Newark and Sherwood
2 Broadland 002 Broadland
3 Gwynedd 006 Gwynedd
4 Ashfield 006 Ashfield
5 Bolton 019 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brownley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brownley

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Brownley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Brownley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Brownley 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

Brownley is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brownley falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brownley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Brownley

The surname Brownley originated in England and traces its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "brun" meaning brown and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a brown meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Brounlega." This suggests that the name was first used as a place name before becoming a hereditary surname.

In the 14th century, the name was recorded in various forms such as "Brownlegh" and "Brownlee" in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and the Cartulary of Guisborough Priory.

During the 16th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire as "Brownley," which is closer to the modern spelling. This indicates that the name had evolved and become more established as a surname by this time.

Notable individuals with the surname Brownley include William Brownley (c. 1550-1628), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Exeter. Another notable figure was John Brownley (1642-1701), a British mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

In the 18th century, the name can be found in the records of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Lincolnshire, where a family of Brownleys were prominent members. One of the earliest recorded births in this family was that of Thomas Brownley in 1721.

Moving into the 19th century, the surname appeared in various records across England, including the birth of Robert Brownley in 1832 in Lancashire, and the marriage of Elizabeth Brownley to John Smith in 1856 in Yorkshire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Brownley include the artist and illustrator Ernest Brownley (1858-1928), known for his illustrations in children's books, and the British journalist and author John Brownley (1906-1984), who wrote extensively on sports and outdoor pursuits.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brownley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brownley 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 70 Brownleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.17x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 70 3.17x
Nottinghamshire 50 19.91x
Durham 29 5.23x
Yorkshire 16 0.87x
Surrey 9 0.99x
Middlesex 5 0.27x
Warwickshire 5 1.06x
Northumberland 3 1.08x
Kent 2 0.31x
Perthshire 1 1.20x
Worcestershire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chorley in Lancashire leads with 39 Brownleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 314.52x.

Place Total Index
Chorley 39 314.52x
Nottingham St Mary 25 38.49x
Mansfield 17 195.63x
Darlington 11 51.40x
Adlington 8 386.47x
Dawdon 7 102.64x
Manchester 6 6.04x
Rotherhithe 6 26.06x
Turton 6 165.75x
Whitworth 6 147.78x
York St Mary 6 78.43x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 29.07x
Barnard Castle 5 182.48x
Birmingham 5 3.19x
Cheetham 4 24.26x
Holy Trinity 4 9.01x
Hucknall Under 4 307.69x
Snenton 4 40.53x
Byker 3 21.90x
Hulme 2 4.33x
Mereworth 2 392.16x
Poplar London 2 5.69x
Bow London 1 4.22x
Bromsgrove 1 12.21x
Camberwell 1 0.84x
Croydon 1 1.98x
Edgeworth 1 84.03x
Finchley 1 14.01x
Islington London 1 0.55x
Lambeth 1 0.62x
Liverpool 1 0.74x
Moss Side 1 8.60x
North Meols 1 4.62x
Rattray 1 51.28x
Scorton 1 384.62x
Warrington 1 3.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 9
Sarah 8
Jane 6
Alice 5
Ellen 5
Martha 4
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Fanny 3
Isabella 3
Margaret 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Charlotte 2
Hannah 2
Jessie 2
Maria 2
Nelly 2
Rebecca 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Annah 1
Betsy 1
Denise 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Fanay 1
Florence 1
Isabel 1
Janet 1
Jennie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Roshannah 1
Ruth 1
Selina 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1
Sussanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 11
James 8
Thomas 6
George 5
Henry 4
Richard 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Joseph 3
Charles 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Ralph 2
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Goth 1
Hirame 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jas. 1
Mathias 1
Richd. 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Brownley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brownley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 191 people were recorded with the Brownley surname. That placed it at #13,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brownley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 271 in 2016. That gives Brownley a modern rank of #15,874.

What does the Brownley surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a location with a brownish-colored meadow or clearing.

What does the Brownley map show?

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