NameCensus.

UK surname

Disbrey

In the 1881 census there were 41 people recorded with the Disbrey surname, ranking it #27,870 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 91, ranked #32,109, down from #27,870 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Boyton, Shitlington and Woodbridge. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Dover and Hertsmere.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Disbrey is 106 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 122.0%.

1881 census count

41

Ranked #27,870

Modern count

91

2016, ranked #32,109

Peak year

1911

106 bearers

Map years

1

1911 to 1911

Key insights

  • Disbrey had 41 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,870 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016, ranked #32,109.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 106 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Disbrey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Disbrey surname density by area, 1911 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Disbrey 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 16 #30,441
1861 historical 18 #31,580
1881 historical 41 #27,870
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 106 #21,948
1997 modern 94 #27,781
1998 modern 96 #28,188
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 97 #28,142
2001 modern 96 #27,976
2002 modern 93 #28,920
2003 modern 84 #29,978
2004 modern 88 #29,758
2005 modern 79 #30,950
2006 modern 81 #31,044
2007 modern 82 #31,295
2008 modern 84 #31,370
2009 modern 94 #30,538
2010 modern 90 #31,621
2011 modern 82 #32,449
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 95 #31,792
2015 modern 94 #31,872
2016 modern 91 #32,109

Geography

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Where Disbreys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Boyton, Shitlington, Woodbridge, Whaddon and Melbourn, Meldreth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Dover, Hertsmere and West Lindsey. 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 Boyton Suffolk
2 Shitlington Bedfordshire
3 Woodbridge Suffolk
4 Whaddon Hertfordshire
5 Melbourn, Meldreth Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 026 Barnet
2 Dover 009 Dover
3 Barnet 039 Barnet
4 Hertsmere 001 Hertsmere
5 West Lindsey 003 West Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Disbrey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Disbrey

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Disbrey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Disbrey is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Disbrey falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Disbrey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Disbrey 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. Hertfordshire leads with 10 Disbreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.27x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 10 36.27x
Bedfordshire 9 43.46x
Cambridgeshire 8 31.58x
Suffolk 6 12.32x
Essex 4 5.07x
Yorkshire 3 0.76x
Hampshire 1 1.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whaddon in Cambridgeshire leads with 8 Disbreys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16000.00x.

Place Total Index
Whaddon 8 16000.00x
Barkway 7 6363.64x
Shillington 7 2258.06x
Woodbridge 6 967.74x
Manningtree 4 3076.92x
Hitchin 3 241.94x
Hunslet 3 48.54x
Arlesey 2 769.23x
Cliddesden 1 2000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Harriet 3
Emma 2
Mary 2
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lydia 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Millie 1
Patty 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
John 4
George 2
Alfd.Wm. 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Thomas 1
Wilfred 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 Disbrey households.

FAQ

Disbrey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Disbrey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 41 people were recorded with the Disbrey surname. That placed it at #27,870 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Disbrey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 91 in 2016. That gives Disbrey a modern rank of #32,109.

What does the Disbrey map show?

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