NameCensus.

UK surname

Bruin

A surname derived from the Dutch word meaning "brown" or "tanned."

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Bruin surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 263, ranked #16,210, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greenwich, Wigston, Magna and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirkshaws, Tower Hamlets and Coatbridge West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bruin is 265 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.7%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

263

2016, ranked #16,210

Peak year

2013

265 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bruin had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016, ranked #16,210.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 166 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bruin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bruin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bruin 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 71 #24,765
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 137 #19,501
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 223 #16,448
1998 modern 235 #16,358
1999 modern 239 #16,268
2000 modern 229 #16,695
2001 modern 221 #16,848
2002 modern 234 #16,543
2003 modern 232 #16,447
2004 modern 223 #16,965
2005 modern 250 #15,639
2006 modern 252 #15,642
2007 modern 250 #15,901
2008 modern 254 #15,903
2009 modern 254 #16,230
2010 modern 258 #16,432
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 261 #16,041
2013 modern 265 #16,138
2014 modern 261 #16,421
2015 modern 263 #16,224
2016 modern 263 #16,210

Geography

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Where Bruins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greenwich, Wigston, Magna, London parishes, Dartford and Blaby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirkshaws, Tower Hamlets, Coatbridge West and Northumberland. 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 Greenwich London (South Districts)
2 Wigston, Magna Leicestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Dartford Kent
5 Blaby Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirkshaws North Lanarkshire
2 Tower Hamlets 026 Tower Hamlets
3 Coatbridge West North Lanarkshire
4 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
5 Tower Hamlets 027 Tower Hamlets

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bruin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bruin

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Bruin is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bruin is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bruin

The surname BRUIN is of Dutch origin, derived from the Middle Dutch word "bruin" meaning "brown." It is believed to have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with brown hair or a tanned complexion.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century in the Netherlands, where it was commonly used as a personal name or byname. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BRUIN can be found in the "Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland" (Charter Book of Holland and Zeeland) from the year 1289, which mentions a person named "Willelmus dictus Bruyn."

In the 14th century, the BRUIN surname appears in various historical records across the Netherlands, such as the "Leenaktenboeken" (Feudal Records) of Holland and the "Rechtsbronnen van Den Haag" (Legal Sources of The Hague). Notable bearers of the name during this period include Jan Bruin, a merchant from Delft mentioned in 1370, and Pieter Bruin, a landowner in Rotterdam in 1392.

The surname BRUIN also has connections to place names in the Netherlands, such as Bruinisse, a town in the province of Zeeland. The name Bruinisse is derived from the Old Dutch word "brune" meaning "brown," possibly referring to the color of the soil or the local landscape.

As the Dutch explored and settled in other parts of the world, the surname BRUIN spread to various regions. One notable bearer of the name was Adriaen Bruin, a Dutch explorer and navigator born in 1589 who sailed to the East Indies and mapped parts of Australia and New Guinea.

Other notable individuals with the surname BRUIN throughout history include:

1. Cornelis de Bruyn (1652-1727), a Dutch artist and traveler known for his detailed illustrations and accounts of his travels to the Middle East and Asia. 2. Jan de Bruin (1616-1649), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life paintings and genre scenes. 3. Nicolaas Bruin (1687-1765), a Dutch poet and playwright who wrote several successful plays in the 18th century. 4. Gerrit Bruin (1784-1857), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice in the Netherlands from 1840 to 1843. 5. Henri Bruin (1916-2000), a Dutch-American artist and sculptor known for his abstract and modernist works, who lived and worked in New York City.

While the surname BRUIN has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, South Africa, and Australia, due to Dutch migration and settlement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bruin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bruin 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. Kent leads with 36 Bruins recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.41x.

County Total Index
Kent 36 7.41x
Leicestershire 32 20.26x
Middlesex 29 2.04x
Cheshire 9 2.86x
Hertfordshire 9 9.17x
Lancashire 8 0.47x
Gloucestershire 6 2.15x
Surrey 5 0.72x
Hampshire 2 0.69x
Staffordshire 2 0.42x
Warwickshire 2 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.16x
Lanarkshire 1 0.22x
Lincolnshire 1 0.44x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.52x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.21x
Sussex 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blaby in Leicestershire leads with 15 Bruins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2343.75x.

Place Total Index
Blaby 15 2343.75x
Leicester St Margaret 12 31.16x
Boxley 10 1333.33x
Milton In Gravesend 9 123.46x
Greenwich 8 35.29x
Chester St John Baptist 7 123.89x
Clerkenwell London 5 14.87x
Isleworth 5 78.99x
Bovingdon 4 784.31x
Paddington London 4 7.64x
Dartford 3 60.36x
Hackney London 3 3.76x
Halliwell 3 48.78x
Harpenden 3 200.00x
Leicester St Mary 3 23.51x
Lewisham 3 11.58x
Acton 2 23.95x
Aston 2 2.02x
Belgrave 2 56.18x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 21.48x
Bristol St Paul In 2 26.88x
Clifton 2 14.16x
Liverpool 2 1.95x
Richmond 2 20.58x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 3.92x
Willesden 2 14.90x
Anderston 1 833.33x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.62x
Blackden 1 1428.57x
Chelsea London 1 2.33x
Chesham 1 31.55x
Chester St Olave 1 357.14x
Croydon 1 2.60x
Everton 1 1.86x
Finchley 1 18.32x
Foots Cray 1 107.53x
Gravesend 1 24.33x
Hove 1 9.49x
Kensington London 1 1.26x
Kirkdale 1 3.52x
Moulton 1 90.91x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.01x
Pembroke St Mary 1 17.15x
Plumstead 1 6.17x
Portsmouth 1 14.88x
Rotherhithe 1 5.68x
Southwark Christchurch 1 14.99x
St Albans St Peter 1 30.21x
St Anne Soho London 1 12.30x
St George Bloomsbury 1 12.24x
St Luke London 1 4.38x
St Pancras London 1 0.87x
Toxteth Park 1 1.75x
Twyford 1 142.86x
Watford 1 13.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Sarah 8
Elizabeth 6
Emma 6
Alice 3
Ann 3
Emily 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
(Mrs) 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Angelina 1
Augusta 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Isabel 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Lousia 1
Martha 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
William 10
Alfred 5
Charles 4
George 4
Thomas 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Henry 2
James 2
Leonard 2
Michael 2
Samuel 2
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Hardy 1
Herbert 1
Micheal 1
Pakey 1
Paul 1
Rd. 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bruin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bruin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Bruin surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bruin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 263 in 2016. That gives Bruin a modern rank of #16,210.

What does the Bruin surname mean?

A surname derived from the Dutch word meaning "brown" or "tanned."

What does the Bruin map show?

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