NameCensus.

UK surname

Bryant

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "broom-covered hill" or "person who lived near a broom-covered hill."

In the 1881 census there were 12,753 people recorded with the Bryant surname, ranking it #324 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,191, ranked #360, down from #324 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bryant is 18,069 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.8%.

1881 census count

12,753

Ranked #324

Modern count

17,191

2016, ranked #360

Peak year

1999

18,069 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bryant had 12,753 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #324 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,191 in 2016, ranked #360.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 17,475 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bryant surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bryant surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bryant 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 7,369 #382
1861 historical 7,781 #355
1881 historical 12,753 #324
1891 historical 13,793 #309
1901 historical 16,101 #315
1911 historical 17,475 #270
1997 modern 17,297 #342
1998 modern 17,898 #345
1999 modern 18,069 #343
2000 modern 17,920 #343
2001 modern 17,482 #345
2002 modern 17,789 #345
2003 modern 17,218 #350
2004 modern 17,170 #350
2005 modern 16,895 #348
2006 modern 16,813 #349
2007 modern 16,800 #354
2008 modern 16,828 #354
2009 modern 17,191 #357
2010 modern 17,578 #356
2011 modern 17,336 #358
2012 modern 17,122 #355
2013 modern 17,506 #356
2014 modern 17,517 #357
2015 modern 17,377 #355
2016 modern 17,191 #360

Geography

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Where Bryants are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Cornwall and Monmouthshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bristol 049 Bristol, City of
2 South Gloucestershire 032 South Gloucestershire
3 Cornwall 001 Cornwall
4 Monmouthshire 010 Monmouthshire
5 South Gloucestershire 031 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bryant

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bryant

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Bryant 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

Bryant is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bryant falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bryant

The surname Bryant originated in England and is of Anglo-Saxon descent. It is derived from the Old English words "bri" meaning "bridge" and "ant" meaning "dweller". The name was given to someone who lived near a bridge or lived in the bridgehouse. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Briante in the Domesday Book of 1086.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as Briant and Bryant. It was also found in various places such as Briantespill, a place in Suffolk, and Bryantston, a village in Dorset. The name was widespread across England, with concentrations in the southern counties of Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Guy de Bryant, a knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence in the early 14th century. In the 15th century, John Bryant was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name was well-established across England. Notable individuals included William Bryant (1535-1619), a poet and translator from Lincolnshire, and Sir Francis Bryant (1579-1644), a Member of Parliament and landowner from Buckinghamshire.

In the 18th century, Jacob Bryant (1715-1804) was a prominent English antiquarian and scholar who wrote extensively on ancient mythology and history. William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878) was an American romantic poet and journalist, best known for his poems "Thanatopsis" and "To a Waterfowl".

In the 19th century, Walter Bryant (1832-1904) was a British artist and illustrator, known for his paintings of rural life and landscapes. Sophie Bryant (1850-1922) was an English writer and social reformer who campaigned for women's rights and education.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bryant families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bryant 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. Middlesex leads with 2,108 Bryants recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.69x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,108 1.69x
Gloucestershire 1,430 5.84x
Surrey 1,266 2.08x
Somerset 1,157 5.76x
Kent 687 1.61x
Glamorgan 558 2.57x
Cornwall 522 3.69x
Sussex 466 2.21x
Devon 414 1.59x
Hampshire 379 1.48x
Wiltshire 371 3.36x
Essex 319 1.29x
Buckinghamshire 301 3.99x
Suffolk 239 1.57x
Yorkshire 214 0.17x
Lancashire 203 0.14x
Warwickshire 200 0.64x
Monmouthshire 181 2.01x
Hertfordshire 178 2.07x
Bedfordshire 167 2.58x
Norfolk 162 0.84x
Dorset 131 1.60x
Oxfordshire 127 1.65x
Berkshire 122 1.30x
Staffordshire 105 0.25x
Northamptonshire 94 0.80x
Lincolnshire 93 0.47x
Durham 91 0.25x
Worcestershire 67 0.41x
Cambridgeshire 55 0.70x
Pembrokeshire 42 1.06x
Cheshire 37 0.13x
Northumberland 35 0.19x
Channel Islands 32 0.87x
Nottinghamshire 30 0.18x
Herefordshire 28 0.55x
Leicestershire 27 0.20x
Lanarkshire 19 0.05x
Brecknockshire 17 0.68x
Midlothian 17 0.10x
Derbyshire 15 0.08x
Carmarthenshire 13 0.25x
Renfrewshire 13 0.13x
Royal Navy 11 0.74x
Shropshire 11 0.10x
Huntingdonshire 10 0.40x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.18x
Cumberland 9 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 6 0.33x
Angus 3 0.03x
Ayrshire 2 0.02x
Perthshire 1 0.02x
Ross-shire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St George in Gloucestershire leads with 294 Bryants recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.97x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St George 294 25.97x
Islington London 206 1.70x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 200 8.68x
St Pancras London 173 1.72x
Lambeth 166 1.53x
Portsea 152 3.03x
Bedminster 131 6.94x
Camberwell 125 1.57x
St Marylebone London 118 1.77x
Bitton Oldland 117 46.75x
Shoreditch London 111 2.05x
St Ives 107 38.69x
Hackney London 104 1.49x
Aston 103 1.19x
Kensington London 94 1.35x
Newington 91 1.97x
Mangotsfield 90 36.88x
Mile End Old Town London 89 3.35x
Clifton 87 7.03x
Bethnal Green London 84 1.55x
Bristol St James St Paul 81 9.92x
Croydon 80 2.37x
West Ham 79 1.45x
Bow London 70 4.41x
Ystradyfodwg 65 3.41x
Hammersmith London 61 1.98x
Lewisham 61 2.69x
Birmingham 60 0.57x
Battersea 59 1.28x
Farnham 59 12.47x
Paddington London 58 1.26x
Brede 56 126.98x
Southwark St George Martyr 56 2.23x
Stapleton 56 12.06x
Bristol St Paul In 55 8.43x
Bradford On Avon 54 15.28x
Walcot 51 4.77x
Bermondsey 49 1.32x
Bromley London 48 1.75x
Wycombe 48 8.53x
Fulham London 47 2.60x
Camborne 46 7.90x
Deptford St Paul 46 1.40x
Merthyr Tydfil 46 2.20x
St George Hanover Square 46 2.09x
Brighton 45 1.06x
Chatham 45 3.84x
Plymouth St Andrew 45 2.25x
Westbury On Trym 45 5.43x
Bromley 44 6.78x
Cardiff St Mary 44 3.68x
Clerkenwell London 43 1.46x
Woolwich 43 2.73x
Cardiff St John 42 5.92x
Roath 42 4.25x
Frampton Cotterell 40 46.55x
Wellingborough 40 6.78x
Bridgewater 39 7.15x
Acton 38 5.19x
Ashwell 38 56.25x
Old Cleeve 38 52.97x
Rolvenden 38 68.89x
St George In East London 38 3.24x
Kingston On Thames 37 2.53x
St Luke London 35 1.75x
Rotherhithe 34 2.20x
Tonbridge 34 2.21x
Westminster St John 34 2.24x
Willesden 34 2.89x
Chelsea London 33 0.88x
Chiswick 33 4.84x
Reigate Foreign 33 5.01x
Wellington 33 12.11x
St Woollos 32 3.18x
Clapham 31 1.99x
Reading St Mary 30 4.00x
Tottenham 30 1.51x
Limehouse London 29 2.12x
Maidstone 29 2.29x
Poplar London 29 1.23x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 787
Elizabeth 506
Sarah 399
Ellen 251
Jane 220
Emily 218
Ann 215
Eliza 212
Alice 205
Emma 204
Annie 193
Louisa 113
Hannah 97
Fanny 94
Maria 93
Martha 92
Harriet 88
Caroline 87
Kate 82
Florence 80
Ada 79
Charlotte 77
Edith 73
Catherine 61
Clara 61
Margaret 61
Anne 60
Susan 59
Rose 44
Sophia 44
Harriett 42
Elizth. 40
Julia 39
Lucy 39
Esther 38
Frances 37
Amelia 34
Jessie 32
Matilda 32
Minnie 32
Agnes 31
Rebecca 28
Amy 26
Ethel 25
Lydia 25
Rosa 25
Bessie 24
Anna 21
Laura 21
Susannah 21

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 764
John 598
George 512
James 401
Thomas 352
Henry 314
Charles 274
Alfred 182
Joseph 170
Frederick 132
Robert 130
Arthur 127
Edward 124
Samuel 124
Albert 122
Richard 109
Walter 88
Harry 70
Ernest 64
Frank 63
Herbert 56
Edwin 54
Wm. 43
Benjamin 42
Francis 40
David 34
Daniel 26
Fred 26
Stephen 26
Thos. 26
Isaac 25
Sidney 24
Tom 24
Edmund 21
Sydney 19
Jesse 17
Jno. 17
Mark 17
Fredk. 16
Chas. 14
Geo. 14
Michael 14
Abraham 13
Edgar 13
Percy 13
Willm. 13
Fredrick 12
Lewis 11
Philip 9
Dennis 8

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bryant households.

FAQ

Bryant surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bryant surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,753 people were recorded with the Bryant surname. That placed it at #324 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bryant surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,191 in 2016. That gives Bryant a modern rank of #360.

What does the Bryant surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "broom-covered hill" or "person who lived near a broom-covered hill."

What does the Bryant map show?

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