NameCensus.

UK surname

Bruton

From a place name derived from Old English meaning "settlement on the River Brue."

In the 1881 census there were 1,007 people recorded with the Bruton surname, ranking it #3,889 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,567, ranked #3,960, down from #3,889 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and North Nibley, Wotton-under-Edge. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, East Hertfordshire and Blackpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bruton is 1,642 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.6%.

1881 census count

1,007

Ranked #3,889

Modern count

1,567

2016, ranked #3,960

Peak year

1998

1,642 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bruton had 1,007 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,889 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,567 in 2016, ranked #3,960.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,405 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bruton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bruton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bruton 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 685 #3,796
1861 historical 670 #4,006
1881 historical 1,007 #3,889
1891 historical 1,070 #3,927
1901 historical 1,245 #3,980
1911 historical 1,405 #3,435
1997 modern 1,624 #3,649
1998 modern 1,642 #3,744
1999 modern 1,638 #3,789
2000 modern 1,640 #3,760
2001 modern 1,587 #3,806
2002 modern 1,601 #3,849
2003 modern 1,556 #3,870
2004 modern 1,540 #3,906
2005 modern 1,539 #3,866
2006 modern 1,553 #3,827
2007 modern 1,550 #3,878
2008 modern 1,558 #3,886
2009 modern 1,592 #3,897
2010 modern 1,611 #3,936
2011 modern 1,587 #3,937
2012 modern 1,588 #3,878
2013 modern 1,598 #3,923
2014 modern 1,589 #3,963
2015 modern 1,569 #3,963
2016 modern 1,567 #3,960

Geography

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Where Brutons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, North Nibley, Wotton-under-Edge and Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, East Hertfordshire, Blackpool, Cotswold and Stroud. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 North Nibley, Wotton-under-Edge Gloucestershire
5 Chesham (incl. Chartridge, Billington & Latimers with Waterside Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 006 Blaenau Gwent
2 East Hertfordshire 011 East Hertfordshire
3 Blackpool 015 Blackpool
4 Cotswold 006 Cotswold
5 Stroud 004 Stroud

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bruton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bruton

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bruton is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bruton 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

Bruton falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bruton

The surname Bruton has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "brun" and "tun," meaning "brown" and "settlement" or "enclosure," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where people lived near a brown-colored settlement or enclosure.

One of the earliest known references to the name Bruton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and their properties. The Domesday Book mentions a place called "Briton" or "Bruton" in Somerset, which may have given rise to the surname.

During the medieval period, the name Bruton appeared in various records and manuscripts. In the 13th century, a person named Richard de Bruton was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1234. Another early record is from the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1242, which included the name William de Bruton.

The name Bruton is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Walter Bruton, who lived in the 14th century and was a prominent merchant in Bristol, England.

In the 16th century, Sir William Bruton (c. 1555-1598) was an English politician and member of the Parliament from Somerset. He played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of the time.

Another notable figure was Richard Bruton (1711-1782), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Newington Butts, London. He published several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 19th century, Sir Bruton Grosvenor (1832-1895) was a British army officer and courtier. He served as the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in the House of Lords and was knighted for his services.

One of the more recent historical figures with the surname Bruton was Sir Edward Bruton (1866-1939), a British banker and politician. He served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 1925 to 1929 and was also a member of the House of Commons.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bruton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bruton 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. Gloucestershire leads with 250 Brutons recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.95x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 250 12.95x
Middlesex 146 1.48x
Worcestershire 105 8.17x
Warwickshire 58 2.34x
Herefordshire 51 12.64x
Surrey 37 0.77x
Hertfordshire 36 5.31x
Wiltshire 35 4.02x
Yorkshire 35 0.36x
Lancashire 34 0.29x
Somerset 33 2.08x
Buckinghamshire 29 4.87x
Glamorgan 24 1.40x
Oxfordshire 22 3.62x
Bedfordshire 20 3.92x
Staffordshire 14 0.42x
Cornwall 8 0.72x
Kent 8 0.24x
Norfolk 8 0.53x
Durham 5 0.17x
Essex 5 0.26x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.38x
Sussex 5 0.30x
Berkshire 4 0.54x
Channel Islands 4 1.37x
Midlothian 4 0.30x
Suffolk 4 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.48x
Northamptonshire 3 0.32x
Cheshire 2 0.09x
Devon 2 0.10x
Leicestershire 2 0.18x
Monmouthshire 2 0.28x
Northumberland 2 0.14x
Dorset 1 0.15x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Lanarkshire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 36 Brutons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.35x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 36 4.35x
Chesham 24 109.44x
Claines 24 68.03x
Dudley 23 14.72x
Bitton 22 130.95x
Kensington London 22 4.02x
Walcot 19 22.52x
Minchinhampton 18 117.04x
Salisbury St Martin 18 198.68x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 17 9.35x
Leigh 17 108.97x
Bristol St George 16 17.92x
Wotton Under Edge 15 131.81x
Islington London 14 1.47x
Hammersmith London 13 5.36x
Wotton St Mary 13 129.87x
Cardiff St Mary 12 12.71x
Kingswood 12 382.17x
Manchester 12 2.28x
Aston 11 1.61x
Cradley 11 186.44x
Paddington London 11 3.04x
Lambeth 10 1.17x
Luton 10 11.33x
Poplar London 10 5.38x
St Martin In Fields 10 16.97x
Twerton 10 61.20x
Wheathampstead 10 127.55x
Bristol St Augustine 9 28.89x
Cheltenham 9 6.04x
Mile End Old Town London 9 4.30x
Stoke Newington London 9 11.74x
Bermondsey 8 2.73x
Cirencester 8 30.62x
Clifton 8 8.20x
Dursley 8 100.76x
Great Malvern 8 29.83x
Neath 8 22.94x
Oxford St Giles 8 27.59x
Painswick 8 58.61x
Salisbury St Edmund 8 57.27x
Tottenham 8 5.10x
Watford 8 15.21x
Bristol St James St Paul 7 10.87x
Harpenden 7 67.63x
Heeley 7 23.62x
Pudlestone 7 721.65x
Bushey 6 37.15x
Charlbury 6 87.98x
Heaton Norris 6 9.03x
Leamington Priors 6 9.82x
Leominster 6 35.93x
St Austell 6 15.75x
Stoke Bliss 6 1090.91x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 1.70x
Stonehouse 6 54.69x
Swindon 6 8.89x
Thornbury 6 45.45x
Worcester St Clement 6 73.44x
Amersham 5 59.24x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 5.39x
Bristol Temple 5 39.34x
Cam 5 84.46x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.15x
Cranfield 5 102.04x
Croydon 5 1.88x
Hill 5 724.64x
Horsley 5 58.48x
Hucknall Torkard 5 14.86x
Ormesby 5 19.08x
Sheffield 5 1.61x
Streatham 5 6.85x
Upton St Leonards 5 102.04x
Yardley 5 15.20x
Bedford St Mary 4 30.46x
Bristol St Stephen 4 79.84x
Kimpton 4 125.79x
Westbury On Severn East 4 9.17x
Westbury On Trym 4 6.12x
Wichenford 4 312.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 50
Elizabeth 41
Sarah 33
Eliza 21
Ellen 20
Emily 19
Jane 19
Alice 16
Emma 14
Ann 13
Charlotte 12
Florence 12
Kate 11
Maria 11
Annie 10
Edith 8
Harriet 8
Louisa 8
Martha 7
Catherine 6
Fanny 6
Harriett 6
Ada 5
Agnes 5
Julia 5
Rosa 5
Amy 4
Anne 4
Bessie 4
Caroline 4
Gertrude 4
Hannah 4
Lucy 4
Margaret 4
Minnie 4
Rose 4
Rosina 4
Sophia 4
Clara 3
Ethel 3
Frances 3
Hester 3
Jessie 3
Lizzie 3
Mabel 3
Maud 3
Amelia 2
Betsy 2
Francis 2
Margrett 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 56
John 43
George 35
James 35
Henry 32
Charles 30
Thomas 29
Arthur 21
Albert 17
Joseph 16
Edward 15
Alfred 12
Frederick 11
Walter 10
Ernest 7
Francis 4
Fred 4
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Aaron 3
Andrew 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Jabez 3
Leonard 3
Peter 3
Richard 3
Robert 3
Stephen 3
Abel 2
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Harold 2
Jesse 2
Sidney 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Carl 1
Cecil 1
Edwd. 1
Edwd.Hy. 1
Eli 1
Enos 1
Hugh 1
J. 1
Zephaniah 1

FAQ

Bruton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bruton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,007 people were recorded with the Bruton surname. That placed it at #3,889 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bruton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,567 in 2016. That gives Bruton a modern rank of #3,960.

What does the Bruton surname mean?

From a place name derived from Old English meaning "settlement on the River Brue."

What does the Bruton map show?

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