NameCensus.

UK surname

Bryars

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 64 people recorded with the Bryars surname, ranking it #24,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 186, ranked #20,575, up from #24,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Sheffield and Snaith. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, North Hertfordshire and The Vale of Glamorgan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bryars is 191 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 190.6%.

1881 census count

64

Ranked #24,561

Modern count

186

2016, ranked #20,575

Peak year

2011

191 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bryars had 64 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016, ranked #20,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 143 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bryars surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bryars surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bryars 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 64 #24,561
1891 historical 114 #22,006
1901 historical 115 #21,050
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 169 #19,578
1998 modern 170 #20,030
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 181 #19,360
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 184 #19,275
2003 modern 169 #20,092
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 161 #20,799
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 172 #20,321
2008 modern 180 #19,946
2009 modern 182 #20,201
2010 modern 186 #20,379
2011 modern 191 #19,871
2012 modern 182 #20,440
2013 modern 182 #20,795
2014 modern 188 #20,503
2015 modern 189 #20,345
2016 modern 186 #20,575

Geography

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Where Bryars' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Sheffield, Snaith 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 East Riding of Yorkshire, North Hertfordshire and The Vale of Glamorgan. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 037 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 North Hertfordshire 014 North Hertfordshire
5 The Vale of Glamorgan 006 Vale of Glamorgan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bryars

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bryars

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

Bryars is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Bryars

The surname BRYARS is believed to have originated in England, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, deriving from the Old English words "bryg" meaning bridge and "hers" meaning meadow or grass, likely referring to a dweller at a grassy bridge or area near a bridge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Robert de Brigehers. This suggests that the name may have initially been spelled variations like Brigehers or Bryghers before evolving into its modern form.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different counties in England, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which listed a Johannes Bryghers, and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332, mentioning a William de Bryghers.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not appear to contain any direct references to the BRYARS surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have been related to the eventual derivation of the name, such as Bridgewater and Bridgemere.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the BRYARS surname. One example is Sir Thomas Bryars (1482-1538), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire in 1529. Another is John Bryars (1670-1743), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1732 to 1734.

Other individuals of note include William Bryars (1818-1888), an English artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings, and Mary Bryars (1828-1907), a Canadian educator and advocate for women's rights who founded the Girls' Home and School in London, Ontario.

In the 18th century, the surname BRYARS also appeared in various parish records across England, such as the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, which included entries for families with the Bryars surname in the 1720s and 1730s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bryars families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bryars 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. Yorkshire leads with 44 Bryars' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.11x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 44 7.11x
Gloucestershire 8 6.53x
Lincolnshire 8 8.01x
Cheshire 1 0.73x
Hertfordshire 1 2.32x
Lanarkshire 1 0.50x
Middlesex 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 14 Bryars' recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.07x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 14 71.07x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 87.44x
Brightside Bierlow 8 65.95x
Wotton St Mary 8 1250.00x
Hook 6 441.18x
West Butterwick With 6 4000.00x
Sculcoates 3 30.58x
Belton 2 487.80x
Barnsley 1 15.67x
Govan 1 2.00x
Hampstead London 1 10.29x
Heeley 1 53.19x
Hitchin 1 51.55x
Stockport 1 14.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 4
Annie 3
Jane 3
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Elizabeth 2
Emily 2
Margrett 2
Ada 1
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 5
William 5
Frank 2
Harry 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Septimus 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Leonard 1
Mark 1
Willis 1

FAQ

Bryars surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bryars surname in 1881?

In 1881, 64 people were recorded with the Bryars surname. That placed it at #24,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bryars surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016. That gives Bryars a modern rank of #20,575.

What does the Bryars surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in England.

What does the Bryars map show?

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