NameCensus.

UK surname

Brumwell

From a location called Brumwell or Bramwell, derived from Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 241 people recorded with the Brumwell surname, ranking it #11,374 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 375, ranked #12,457, down from #11,374 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Newcastle All Saints and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Leeds and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brumwell is 398 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.6%.

1881 census count

241

Ranked #11,374

Modern count

375

2016, ranked #12,457

Peak year

1911

398 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brumwell had 241 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,374 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 375 in 2016, ranked #12,457.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 398 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brumwell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brumwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brumwell 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 121 #15,049
1861 historical 116 #18,751
1881 historical 241 #11,374
1891 historical 308 #10,886
1901 historical 383 #9,760
1911 historical 398 #9,321
1997 modern 384 #11,336
1998 modern 383 #11,748
1999 modern 394 #11,579
2000 modern 390 #11,623
2001 modern 380 #11,660
2002 modern 388 #11,689
2003 modern 379 #11,714
2004 modern 373 #11,859
2005 modern 370 #11,875
2006 modern 375 #11,796
2007 modern 374 #11,974
2008 modern 363 #12,359
2009 modern 368 #12,476
2010 modern 373 #12,628
2011 modern 374 #12,464
2012 modern 372 #12,374
2013 modern 381 #12,360
2014 modern 380 #12,449
2015 modern 375 #12,470
2016 modern 375 #12,457

Geography

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Where Brumwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Newcastle All Saints, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon), Middleton-in-Teesdale and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Leeds and Gateshead. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
4 Middleton-in-Teesdale Durham
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 039 County Durham
2 Leeds 083 Leeds
3 County Durham 036 County Durham
4 County Durham 003 County Durham
5 Gateshead 019 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brumwell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brumwell

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Brumwell is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brumwell 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

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

Meaning and origin of Brumwell

The surname Brumwell has its origins in England, particularly in the southern counties of Sussex and Kent. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "brom," meaning broom or gorse bush, and "well," referring to a spring or stream. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone living near a well or stream surrounded by broom or gorse bushes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brumwell can be found in the Sussex Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a John de Bromwell is listed. The "de" prefix indicates a place of origin, further reinforcing the connection between the name and a geographic location. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Bromwell, Bromewelle, and Bromewell, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time.

The name Brumwell is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which suggests that it emerged later, likely as a result of the Norman Conquest and the subsequent changes in the English language and naming conventions. However, it is possible that the name was derived from a place name that existed before the Domesday Book was compiled.

One notable figure bearing the surname Brumwell was Sir John Brumwell, a Member of Parliament for Sussex in the late 15th century. He was born around 1440 and served in the English Parliament during the reign of King Edward IV. Another prominent individual was Robert Brumwell, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century, born circa 1520.

In the 17th century, a John Brumwell was recorded as a landowner in the village of Lindfield, Sussex, in 1637. Around the same time, a Thomas Brumwell served as a Member of Parliament for Arundel, Sussex, from 1628 to 1629. Additionally, a Richard Brumwell was listed as a resident of the parish of Mayfield, Sussex, in the 1670s.

While the surname Brumwell is not among the most common in England, it has persisted over the centuries, with various individuals bearing the name making contributions in various fields, such as politics, commerce, and local communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brumwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brumwell 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. Durham leads with 52 Brumwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.44x.

County Total Index
Durham 52 7.44x
Northumberland 28 8.01x
Middlesex 24 1.02x
Yorkshire 19 0.82x
Montgomeryshire 18 33.41x
Lancashire 16 0.57x
Lincolnshire 15 3.99x
Derbyshire 11 2.99x
Westmorland 10 19.36x
Bedfordshire 8 6.57x
Surrey 8 0.70x
Sussex 7 1.77x
Cumberland 5 2.47x
Essex 5 1.08x
Hampshire 4 0.83x
Leicestershire 4 1.53x
Kent 2 0.25x
Shropshire 2 0.98x
Berkshire 1 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.67x
Radnorshire 1 5.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Forest Frith in Durham leads with 18 Brumwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2950.82x.

Place Total Index
Forest Frith 18 2950.82x
Bishopwearmouth 10 16.66x
Crook Billy Row 10 111.61x
Elswick 10 35.82x
Patterdale 10 1754.39x
Wapping London 9 500.00x
Keysoe 8 1403.51x
Tynemouth 7 37.37x
Eastbourne 6 32.89x
Llandyssil 6 1034.48x
Ripley 6 131.87x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 8.20x
Hook 5 97.66x
Kerry 5 308.64x
Market Rasen 5 238.10x
Newbiggin 5 1000.00x
Pool 5 123.15x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 5 46.21x
West Ham 5 4.88x
Westgate 5 23.08x
Beckermet St John 4 800.00x
Bethnal Green London 4 3.92x
Camberwell 4 2.66x
Chelsea London 4 5.65x
Derby St Alkmund 4 36.26x
Fulwood 4 132.89x
Leeds 4 3.04x
Leicester St Margaret 4 6.29x
Middleton In Teesdale 4 216.22x
Ryde 4 38.65x
Shoreditch London 4 3.93x
St Martin Lincoln 4 114.61x
St Swithin Lincoln 4 67.68x
East Broughton 3 379.75x
Gateshead 3 5.73x
Headingley Cum Burley 3 20.00x
Leatherhead 3 104.53x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 16.55x
Preston 3 4.02x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 9.57x
Berriew 1 67.11x
Bettws 1 227.27x
Chirbury 1 83.33x
Cockfield 1 102.04x
Derby St Peter 1 8.53x
Greenwich 1 2.67x
Holwick 1 526.32x
Horncastle 1 25.77x
Hove 1 5.75x
Hurst 1 43.29x
Knighton 1 65.36x
Lartington 1 588.24x
Newtown 1 29.07x
Penrith 1 13.37x
Rainhill 1 55.87x
Richmond 1 6.23x
Seghill 1 58.48x
St Andrewthe Less 1 5.88x
St George Hanover Square 1 2.41x
St Pancras London 1 0.53x
St Peterat Arches 1 232.56x
Stanhope 1 13.85x
Tottenham 1 2.67x
Woolwich 1 3.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Jane 12
Elizabeth 11
Sarah 8
Hannah 5
Alice 4
Emily 4
Frances 4
Margaret 4
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Annah 2
Clara 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
A.M. 1
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Bessie 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizabet 1
Elsie 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eve 1
Fanny 1
Helen 1
Hilda 1
Judith 1
Lillian 1
Margret 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Rachel 1
Rebekah 1
Wm. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
William 16
Thomas 14
George 12
Charles 7
James 6
Richard 5
Alfred 3
Walter 3
Edward 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Preston 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
G.T. 1
Herbert 1
Hy. 1
J.Jackson 1
Jacob 1
Job 1
Jonathon 1
Marcus 1
Martin 1
Robert 1
Thoimas 1
Thos.Graham 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Brumwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brumwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 241 people were recorded with the Brumwell surname. That placed it at #11,374 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brumwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 375 in 2016. That gives Brumwell a modern rank of #12,457.

What does the Brumwell surname mean?

From a location called Brumwell or Bramwell, derived from Old English.

What does the Brumwell map show?

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