NameCensus.

UK surname

Brumfield

An English occupational surname for someone who lived near a broom field or grew broom plants.

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Brumfield surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 109, ranked #29,402, down from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley, Kyme and Boston (incl. Boston allotments). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Peterborough and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brumfield is 115 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.2%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

2010

115 bearers

Map years

3

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brumfield had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 114 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brumfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brumfield surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brumfield 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 114 #21,064
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 95 #29,113
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 115 #27,874
2011 modern 112 #28,117
2012 modern 112 #28,174
2013 modern 112 #28,675
2014 modern 108 #29,658
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Brumfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley, Kyme, Boston (incl. Boston allotments), Gainsborough, Paddocks and Southampton St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Peterborough, Kingston upon Hull, Kirklees and North Lincolnshire. 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 Hillingdon (Hillingdon), Ickenham, Cowley Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Kyme Lincolnshire
3 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
4 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
5 Southampton St Mary Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 013 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Peterborough 018 Peterborough
3 Kingston upon Hull 021 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
5 North Lincolnshire 009 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brumfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brumfield

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Brumfield 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

Brumfield 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

Brumfield falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brumfield 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 Brumfield, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brumfield

The surname Brumfield is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "brom" meaning "broom" and "feld" meaning "field." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived or worked near a field of broom plants.

One of the earliest known records of the Brumfield surname dates back to the late 13th century in Staffordshire, England. The surname is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, an important medieval census document. This early spelling was recorded as "de Bromfeld."

By the 14th century, variations of the name began to appear in various historical records across different counties in England. Some of these variations included Bromfield, Broomfield, and Brumfield. This diversity in spelling was common during that period due to inconsistent record-keeping practices.

The Brumfield surname can be traced back to several place names in England, such as Broomfield in Somerset, Broomfield in Kent, and Bramfield in Suffolk. It is likely that the name originated from one of these locations, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on the place they lived or came from.

Notable individuals with the Brumfield surname in history include:

1. William Brumfield (c. 1450 - 1510), an English merchant and landowner from Worcestershire. 2. John Brumfield (1586 - 1662), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Rowley, Massachusetts. 3. Thomas Brumfield (1670 - 1738), an English soldier who served in the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession. 4. Mary Brumfield (1726 - 1803), a English Quaker writer and activist who campaigned against slavery and the slave trade. 5. Benjamin Brumfield (1788 - 1867), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Throughout its history, the Brumfield surname has remained relatively uncommon, but it has been documented in various parts of England, as well as in the United States and other English-speaking countries due to migration and immigration patterns.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brumfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brumfield 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. Lincolnshire leads with 32 Brumfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.10x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 32 31.10x
Hampshire 16 12.13x
Middlesex 10 1.55x
Surrey 3 0.96x
Sussex 2 1.84x
Yorkshire 2 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Southampton St Mary in Hampshire leads with 9 Brumfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.43x.

Place Total Index
Southampton St Mary 9 108.43x
North Kyme 7 4666.67x
Withcall 6 12000.00x
Boston 5 160.26x
Thornton Curtis 5 5000.00x
Little Cawthorpe 4 10000.00x
Ruislip 4 1250.00x
South Stoneham 4 139.86x
Eling 3 223.88x
Finchley 3 121.46x
Benniworth 2 2500.00x
Bermondsey 2 10.44x
Horton In Bradford 2 20.08x
St George Bloomsbury 2 54.20x
Waldron 2 666.67x
Burgh In Marsh 1 400.00x
Covenham St Mary 1 5000.00x
Fulstow 1 833.33x
Kensington London 1 2.79x
Nottingham St Mary 1 4.46x
Reigate Foreign 1 29.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 5
Mary 4
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
B. 1
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Hannah 1
Maria 1
Nancy 1
Pamela 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Suez 1
Susan 1
Thirza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
Charles 4
George 3
John 3
Thomas 3
Jacob 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Hastings 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Ruben 1
Stephen 1

FAQ

Brumfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brumfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Brumfield surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brumfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Brumfield a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Brumfield surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who lived near a broom field or grew broom plants.

What does the Brumfield map show?

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