NameCensus.

UK surname

Brownridge

A locational surname derived from a location with brown ridges or hills.

In the 1881 census there were 233 people recorded with the Brownridge surname, ranking it #11,648 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 342, ranked #13,398, down from #11,648 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Manchester and Garforth, West. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brownridge is 403 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.8%.

1881 census count

233

Ranked #11,648

Modern count

342

2016, ranked #13,398

Peak year

2002

403 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brownridge had 233 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,648 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 342 in 2016, ranked #13,398.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 287 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Brownridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brownridge surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brownridge 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 157 #14,732
1881 historical 233 #11,648
1891 historical 247 #12,880
1901 historical 261 #12,775
1911 historical 287 #11,784
1997 modern 359 #11,956
1998 modern 369 #12,077
1999 modern 381 #11,873
2000 modern 397 #11,463
2001 modern 395 #11,324
2002 modern 403 #11,382
2003 modern 397 #11,316
2004 modern 386 #11,579
2005 modern 379 #11,662
2006 modern 385 #11,556
2007 modern 384 #11,726
2008 modern 367 #12,264
2009 modern 367 #12,501
2010 modern 354 #13,135
2011 modern 341 #13,341
2012 modern 351 #12,942
2013 modern 366 #12,733
2014 modern 362 #12,955
2015 modern 346 #13,284
2016 modern 342 #13,398

Geography

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Where Brownridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Manchester, Garforth, West, Glencairn and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds and Calderdale. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Garforth, West Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Glencairn Dumfries
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 074 Leeds
2 Leeds 077 Leeds
3 Leeds 035 Leeds
4 Leeds 087 Leeds
5 Calderdale 006 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brownridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brownridge

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Brownridge surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Brownridge household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Brownridge 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

Brownridge is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Brownridge

The surname Brownridge is of English origin, first recorded in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "brun" meaning brown and "hrycg" meaning ridge, referring to a person who lived near a brown-colored ridge or hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1275, where a Robert de Brunrigg is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, suggesting that the Brownridge family held some prominence at the time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings such as Brownrigge, Brunrigge, and Brunridge. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that period.

The Brownridge name is also associated with several place names in England, such as Brownridge in Lancashire and Brownridge Hill in Staffordshire. These locations likely took their names from the original family who settled there.

Notable individuals bearing the Brownridge surname include John Brownridge (1591-1659), an English clergyman and author of several religious works. Another prominent figure was Sir Ralph Brownrigg (1592-1670), a English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

In the 18th century, William Brownrigg (1711-1800) was a renowned English chemist and physician who made significant contributions to the study of minerals and gases. His work laid the foundation for modern chemistry.

The Brownridge family also had connections to the American colonies. Samuel Brownridge (1720-1787) was a colonial merchant and landowner in Virginia, playing a role in the early economic development of the region.

During the 19th century, Robert Brownrigg (1838-1915) was a Scottish-born farmer and entrepreneur who settled in New Zealand. He became a successful landowner and contributed to the agricultural development of the country.

These examples illustrate the historical significance and widespread presence of the Brownridge surname across various fields and locations throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brownridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brownridge 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. Yorkshire leads with 92 Brownridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.08x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 92 4.08x
Lancashire 30 1.11x
Cheshire 22 4.38x
Middlesex 15 0.66x
Kent 14 1.81x
Renfrewshire 11 6.25x
Lanarkshire 9 1.22x
Staffordshire 9 1.17x
Dumfriesshire 7 13.94x
Warwickshire 7 1.22x
Worcestershire 7 2.36x
Surrey 5 0.45x
Berkshire 2 1.17x
Cumberland 1 0.51x
Midlothian 1 0.33x
Royal Navy 1 3.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Garforth in Yorkshire leads with 22 Brownridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 1279.07x.

Place Total Index
Garforth 22 1279.07x
Leeds 22 17.30x
Sutton In Macclesfield 12 230.33x
Macclesfield 10 44.84x
Bubwith 9 2250.00x
Norton Canes 9 321.43x
Gorton 8 31.56x
Kensington London 8 6.33x
Lewisham 8 19.35x
York St Saviour 8 372.09x
Bradford 7 55.47x
Dudley 7 19.40x
Paisley Low Church 7 125.45x
St Marylebone London 7 5.77x
Askham Richard 6 3333.33x
Glencairn 6 444.44x
Govan 6 3.30x
Greenwich 6 16.58x
Warwick St Mary 6 120.48x
Wortley In Bramley 6 33.63x
Beswick 5 72.46x
Lambeth 5 2.52x
Ulleskelf 5 1388.89x
Abbey 4 14.88x
Ardwick 4 16.44x
Hunslet 4 11.39x
Doncaster 3 18.24x
Gorbals 3 68.81x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 3.39x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 13.79x
Holy Trinity 2 3.69x
Openshaw 2 15.84x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.82x
Great Salkeld 1 256.41x
Holywood 1 119.05x
Lighthorne 1 357.14x
Manchester 1 0.82x
New Windsor 1 17.42x
Norton In Malton 1 36.63x
Ormskirk 1 19.38x
Remenham 1 208.33x
Royal Navy 1 4.32x
Wakefield 1 5.78x
York St Mary 1 10.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Sarah 13
Elizabeth 5
Hannah 5
Alice 4
Anne 4
Charlotte 4
Emma 4
Ann 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Maggie 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
C. 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizoboth 1
Ethel 1
Faith 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Irena 1
Jennie 1
Lavinia 1
Lorna 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Marion 1
Rhoda 1
Selina 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 14
John 14
William 14
Peter 7
Charles 6
Thomas 6
Robert 5
Arthur 4
Alfred 3
Joseph 3
Robt. 3
David 2
Frederick 2
George 2
Richard 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Cass 1
Charlie 1
Edward 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Harry 1
Hartley 1
Herbert 1
Infant 1
Oliver 1
Rowland 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Brownridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brownridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 233 people were recorded with the Brownridge surname. That placed it at #11,648 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brownridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 342 in 2016. That gives Brownridge a modern rank of #13,398.

What does the Brownridge surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a location with brown ridges or hills.

What does the Brownridge map show?

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