NameCensus.

UK surname

Colbran

In the 1881 census there were 184 people recorded with the Colbran surname, ranking it #13,551 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 168, ranked #21,984, down from #13,551 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Eastbourne and Medway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colbran is 301 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.7%.

1881 census count

184

Ranked #13,551

Modern count

168

2016, ranked #21,984

Peak year

1911

301 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colbran had 184 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,551 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 168 in 2016, ranked #21,984.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 301 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Colbran surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colbran surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colbran 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 117 #18,635
1881 historical 184 #13,551
1891 historical 226 #13,668
1901 historical 273 #12,409
1911 historical 301 #11,422
1997 modern 224 #16,392
1998 modern 238 #16,218
1999 modern 229 #16,744
2000 modern 221 #17,089
2001 modern 212 #17,324
2002 modern 212 #17,651
2003 modern 204 #17,909
2004 modern 199 #18,260
2005 modern 195 #18,458
2006 modern 176 #19,787
2007 modern 181 #19,680
2008 modern 184 #19,666
2009 modern 186 #19,946
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 190 #19,942
2012 modern 185 #20,223
2013 modern 178 #21,108
2014 modern 173 #21,639
2015 modern 169 #21,888
2016 modern 168 #21,984

Geography

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Where Colbrans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes, Rotherfield and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Eastbourne and Medway. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Rotherfield Sussex
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 019 Wealden
2 Wealden 020 Wealden
3 Eastbourne 006 Eastbourne
4 Medway 023 Medway
5 Wealden 021 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colbran

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colbran

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Colbran is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Colbran is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Colbran families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colbran 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. Sussex leads with 100 Colbrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.04x.

County Total Index
Sussex 100 33.04x
Kent 31 5.06x
Surrey 19 2.17x
Middlesex 12 0.67x
Lancashire 9 0.42x
Staffordshire 9 1.49x
Hampshire 4 1.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 22 Colbrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 99.59x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 22 99.59x
Hailsham 16 874.32x
Rotherfield 14 526.32x
Battersea 12 18.17x
Burnley 9 50.17x
Ticehurst 9 486.49x
Wolverhampton 9 19.32x
Brighton 8 13.10x
Hove 8 60.24x
Chelsea London 5 9.24x
Eastbourne 5 35.89x
Hastings St Leonards 5 112.36x
Little Horsted 5 2777.78x
Mitcham 5 90.42x
Speldhurst 5 160.26x
Willingdon 5 649.35x
Hastings All Sts 4 140.35x
Holdenhurst 4 41.45x
Kensington London 4 4.01x
Ore 4 177.78x
Arlington 2 555.56x
Hastings St Mary 2 26.56x
Herstmonceaux 2 219.78x
Penge 2 17.44x
Ringmer 2 235.29x
Westham 2 322.58x
Woodchurch 2 263.16x
Folkington 1 1250.00x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 44.84x
Hawkhurst 1 52.63x
Hellingly 1 99.01x
Kingston By Sea 1 208.33x
Lewes All Sts 1 82.64x
Lewes St Ann 1 97.09x
Margate St John Baptist 1 8.92x
Old Tower Without London 1 1428.57x
Patcham 1 185.19x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.16x
St Marylebone London 1 1.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Florence 4
Louisa 4
Sarah 4
Anne 3
Eliza 3
Frances 3
Jane 3
Lucy 3
Ada 2
Ann 2
Caroline 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Rhoda 2
Rose 2
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Catherine 1
Charlott 1
Clara 1
Clarissa 1
Daisy 1
Dora 1
Eleanor 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hellen 1
Janet 1
Jessey 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Lena 1
Lily 1
Margarate 1
Matilda 1
Mercy 1
Naomi 1
Rosie 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
Charles 8
George 8
Thomas 8
Henry 7
John 6
Arthur 4
Alfred 3
Ernest 3
Abraham 2
Adolphus 2
Conningsby 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Joseph 2
Levi 2
Albert 1
Authur 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
James 1
Lionel 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Septimus 1
St. 1
Stephen 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Colbran surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colbran surname in 1881?

In 1881, 184 people were recorded with the Colbran surname. That placed it at #13,551 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colbran surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 168 in 2016. That gives Colbran a modern rank of #21,984.

What does the Colbran map show?

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