NameCensus.

UK surname

Brynes

An Irish surname meaning "from Brin" or "descendant of Bran".

In the 1881 census there were 37 people recorded with the Brynes surname, ranking it #28,418 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96, ranked #31,684, down from #28,418 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn with Darwen, Banchory West and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brynes is 114 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 159.5%.

1881 census count

37

Ranked #28,418

Modern count

96

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

1999

114 bearers

Map years

1

2006 to 2006

Key insights

  • Brynes had 37 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,418 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 71 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Brynes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brynes surname density by area, 2006 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brynes 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 21 #31,242
1881 historical 37 #28,418
1891 historical 71 #27,934
1901 historical 53 #28,271
1911 historical 4 #33,595
1997 modern 113 #25,106
1998 modern 99 #27,785
1999 modern 114 #25,766
2000 modern 112 #25,978
2001 modern 109 #26,059
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 103 #27,503
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 98 #29,355
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 99 #30,218
2012 modern 102 #29,902
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 100 #31,005
2016 modern 96 #31,684

Geography

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Where Brynes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn with Darwen, Banchory West, Rochdale, Burnley and Bonnybridge. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen
2 Banchory West Aberdeenshire
3 Rochdale 010 Rochdale
4 Burnley 009 Burnley
5 Bonnybridge Falkirk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brynes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brynes

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brynes, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Brynes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Brynes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Brynes is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Brynes is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brynes falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Brynes

The surname Brynes originated in Ireland, emerging in the 16th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Broin, which means "descendant of Bron" or "descendant of the sadness or grief". The name is associated with County Kilkenny and surrounding areas in the southeast of Ireland.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Brynus in the Irish Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. This entry refers to a Brynus O'Broin who was a prominent figure in County Kilkenny in the late 15th century.

The surname Brynes is also found in various forms in historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, including Bryne, Bryen, Bryen, and Bryann. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the recording practices of English clerks and scribes at the time.

One notable figure in Irish history was Richard Brynes (1587-1643), a Catholic priest and bishop who was a vocal opponent of the Protestant Reformation in Ireland. He served as the Bishop of Ossory from 1629 until his death.

Another individual of note was Edmond Brynes (1621-1691), a landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for County Kilkenny during the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, a prominent Brynes family resided in the area around Castlecomer, County Kilkenny. One member of this family was John Brynes (1704-1768), a wealthy landowner and magistrate.

Moving into the 19th century, a notable figure was Michael Brynes (1818-1887), a Irish-American journalist and newspaper editor who founded the Memphis Daily Appeal in Tennessee.

Finally, in the early 20th century, James Brynes (1882-1957) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from County Kilkenny who made his fortune in the United States and later donated funds for the construction of several public buildings in his hometown.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brynes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brynes 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. Lancashire leads with 22 Brynes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.14x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 22 5.14x
Durham 3 2.79x
West Lothian 3 55.25x
East Lothian 2 41.84x
Lanarkshire 2 1.71x
Surrey 2 1.14x
Middlesex 1 0.28x
Renfrewshire 1 3.58x
Yorkshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Salford in Lancashire leads with 8 Brynes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 63.54x.

Place Total Index
Salford 8 63.54x
Hulme 6 67.11x
Stretford 5 211.86x
Bathgate 3 254.24x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 64.52x
Barrow In Furness 2 34.36x
Battersea 2 15.06x
Dirleton 2 1052.63x
Barony 1 3.39x
Glasgow 1 4.83x
Halifax 1 19.05x
Hornsey 1 21.93x
Port Glasgow 1 74.07x
Royton 1 76.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 2
Martha 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Bertha 1
Clara 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Harriet 1
Jane 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
James 2
Robert 2
William 2
George 1
Harry 1
Michael 1

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 Brynes households.

FAQ

Brynes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brynes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 37 people were recorded with the Brynes surname. That placed it at #28,418 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brynes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Brynes a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Brynes surname mean?

An Irish surname meaning "from Brin" or "descendant of Bran".

What does the Brynes map show?

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