NameCensus.

UK surname

Colebrooke

A topographic surname referring to someone residing near the brook in a coal mining area.

In the 1881 census there were 59 people recorded with the Colebrooke surname, ranking it #25,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #25,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mynyddyslwyn, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Tunbridge, Bidborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bromsgrove, Hart and Weymouth and Portland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colebrooke is 111 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.3%.

1881 census count

59

Ranked #25,281

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1997

111 bearers

Map years

4

1911 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colebrooke had 59 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 110 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Colebrooke surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colebrooke surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colebrooke 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 38 #29,216
1881 historical 59 #25,281
1891 historical 83 #26,376
1901 historical 66 #26,794
1911 historical 110 #21,519
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 111 #26,182
2000 modern 108 #26,549
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 111 #26,291
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 106 #27,045
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 101 #28,125
2007 modern 96 #29,339
2008 modern 97 #29,527
2009 modern 95 #30,393
2010 modern 91 #31,497
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 110 #29,294
2015 modern 109 #29,327
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Colebrookes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mynyddyslwyn, Walthamstow, Low Leyton, Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and Steep. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bromsgrove, Hart, Weymouth and Portland, Nottingham and Darlington. 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 Mynyddyslwyn Monmouthshire
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Steep Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bromsgrove 008 Bromsgrove
2 Hart 006 Hart
3 Weymouth and Portland 007 Weymouth and Portland
4 Nottingham 040 Nottingham
5 Darlington 014 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colebrooke

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colebrooke

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Colebrooke is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Colebrooke 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

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

Meaning and origin of Colebrooke

The surname Colebrooke originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English words "col" meaning charcoal or coal, and "broc" meaning brook or stream. This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near a brook where charcoal was produced or transported.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Colbrocc". This entry refers to a settlement in Devonshire that would later become known as Colebrooke.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of Colebrooke. Records from this period show individuals with this surname residing in various parts of southern England, particularly in Somerset, Devon, and Dorset.

One notable bearer of the Colebrooke name was Sir Edward Colebrooke (1564-1638), a wealthy merchant and member of the East India Company. He played a significant role in establishing British trade relations with India and the East Indies.

Another prominent figure was Robert Colebrooke (1742-1808), an English-born judge and orientalist who served as a member of the Supreme Council of Bengal and was instrumental in promoting the study of ancient Indian texts and languages.

In the literary world, Henry Thomas Colebrooke (1765-1837), a noted Sanskrit scholar and translator, made significant contributions to the understanding of Hindu law and philosophy in the West.

Sir William Macbean George Colebrooke (1787-1870), a British army officer and colonial administrator, served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces (now part of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand) in India from 1834 to 1837.

Lastly, Edward Colebrooke (1737-1808), an English clergyman and mathematician, is remembered for his work on the calculation of life annuities and his contributions to actuarial science.

Throughout its history, the Colebrooke surname has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in the southern regions, and has been associated with individuals who achieved notable accomplishments in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colebrooke families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colebrooke 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. Kent leads with 31 Colebrookes recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.79x.

County Total Index
Kent 31 15.79x
Sussex 11 11.34x
Surrey 9 3.21x
Durham 4 2.34x
Hampshire 2 1.70x
Glamorgan 1 1.00x
Middlesex 1 0.17x

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 31 Colebrookes recorded in 1881 and an index of 437.85x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 31 437.85x
Camberwell 7 19.04x
Brighton 5 25.54x
Crook Billy Row 4 182.65x
Rye 4 434.78x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 96.62x
Andover 1 90.09x
Clapham 1 13.91x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 10.38x
Northwood 1 59.52x
Richmond 1 25.45x
St George Hanover Square 1 9.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Emma 3
Nellie 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Betsy 1
C. 1
Dasey 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Elizth 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
H.P. 1
Harriette 1
Joanna 1
Kate 1
Lottie 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

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 Colebrooke households.

FAQ

Colebrooke surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colebrooke surname in 1881?

In 1881, 59 people were recorded with the Colebrooke surname. That placed it at #25,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colebrooke surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Colebrooke a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Colebrooke surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone residing near the brook in a coal mining area.

What does the Colebrooke map show?

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