NameCensus.

UK surname

Middlebrook

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a brook situated between two other features.

In the 1881 census there were 550 people recorded with the Middlebrook surname, ranking it #6,274 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 549, ranked #9,292, down from #6,274 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Batley, Preston and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Breckland and Boston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Middlebrook is 712 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.2%.

1881 census count

550

Ranked #6,274

Modern count

549

2016, ranked #9,292

Peak year

1911

712 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Middlebrook had 550 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,274 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 549 in 2016, ranked #9,292.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 712 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Middlebrook surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Middlebrook surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Middlebrook 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 347 #6,781
1861 historical 361 #7,076
1881 historical 550 #6,274
1891 historical 638 #6,075
1901 historical 693 #6,339
1911 historical 712 #5,993
1997 modern 536 #8,837
1998 modern 568 #8,704
1999 modern 572 #8,712
2000 modern 565 #8,761
2001 modern 549 #8,811
2002 modern 568 #8,764
2003 modern 566 #8,652
2004 modern 564 #8,709
2005 modern 570 #8,582
2006 modern 573 #8,575
2007 modern 569 #8,681
2008 modern 564 #8,792
2009 modern 570 #8,920
2010 modern 563 #9,193
2011 modern 569 #9,030
2012 modern 552 #9,138
2013 modern 566 #9,109
2014 modern 569 #9,132
2015 modern 556 #9,221
2016 modern 549 #9,292

Geography

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Where Middlebrooks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Batley, Preston, Bradford, Sheffield and Keighley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Breckland, Boston and Sheffield. 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 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 037 Doncaster
2 Breckland 011 Breckland
3 Boston 001 Boston
4 Doncaster 010 Doncaster
5 Sheffield 065 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Middlebrook

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Middlebrook

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Middlebrook 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

Middlebrook is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Middlebrook

The surname Middlebrook is an English locational surname derived from the place name Middlebrook, which refers to a brook or stream located in the middle of a particular area or settlement. The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, with records indicating its presence in various regions of the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Middlebrook can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a person named William de Middlebrook is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the county of Lincolnshire by the late 12th century.

The Middlebrook surname is also documented in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1327, indicating its presence in the West Midlands region of England during the 14th century. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 17th century list several individuals with the surname Middlebrook, suggesting its widespread distribution across different parts of England.

Notable individuals with the surname Middlebrook throughout history include Sir Richard Middlebrook (1572-1643), a prominent English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwick in the early 17th century. John Middlebrook (1617-1688) was an English Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious treatises during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, William Middlebrook (1721-1798) was a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, while Thomas Middlebrook (1745-1822) was a renowned clockmaker and inventor who contributed to the development of timepiece mechanisms.

Moving into the 19th century, Charles Middlebrook (1833-1907) was a prominent English architect who designed notable buildings in London and other parts of the country. Additionally, Emily Middlebrook (1868-1946) was a notable educator and advocate for women's rights, actively involved in the suffrage movement in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Middlebrook families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Middlebrook 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 272 Middlebrooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.12x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 272 5.12x
Lancashire 67 1.05x
Middlesex 60 1.12x
Staffordshire 57 3.15x
Lincolnshire 49 5.71x
Cheshire 11 0.93x
Nottinghamshire 11 1.52x
Norfolk 8 0.97x
Durham 4 0.25x
Devon 2 0.18x
Sussex 2 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.29x
Denbighshire 1 0.49x
Derbyshire 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Kent 1 0.05x
Leicestershire 1 0.17x
Surrey 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Morley in Yorkshire leads with 55 Middlebrooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 198.99x.

Place Total Index
Morley 55 198.99x
Walsall Foreign 30 32.07x
Preston 20 11.74x
Blackburn 17 10.04x
Bradford 17 13.21x
Gargrave 16 675.11x
Rushall 15 140.71x
Bingley 14 41.35x
Horton In Bradford 14 16.86x
Leeds 13 4.33x
Bethnal Green London 12 5.15x
Swinefleet 11 480.35x
Batley 10 19.79x
Skipton 10 59.77x
Swineshead 10 354.61x
Brightside Bierlow 9 8.63x
Goole 9 101.01x
Heckington 9 276.07x
Sheffield 9 5.32x
St Pancras London 9 2.08x
Great Hale 8 615.38x
Holbeach 8 83.77x
Hornsey 8 11.79x
Pudsey 8 28.15x
Wednesbury 8 17.68x
Welney 8 423.28x
Allerton 7 103.24x
Crompton 7 38.61x
Spitalfields London 7 17.35x
Walton On Hill 7 20.30x
Bramhall 6 122.20x
Gomersal 6 24.18x
Keighley 6 10.59x
Shadwell London 6 39.97x
Walkeringham 6 461.54x
Calverley Cum Farsley 5 33.11x
Hackney London 5 1.66x
Moulton 5 121.07x
Nottingham St Mary 5 2.67x
Ratcliffe London 5 16.87x
South Cave 5 282.49x
Sowerby In Halifax 5 28.77x
Barrowford Booth 4 56.82x
Cundall Cum Leckby 4 1212.12x
Eccleshill 4 30.91x
Eston 4 34.54x
Fishwick 4 101.52x
Ilkley 4 46.03x
Lancaster 4 10.56x
Reedness 4 439.56x
Stranton 4 7.44x
Chorlton On Medlock 3 2.97x
New Sleaford 3 54.55x
North Cave Drewton 3 143.54x
Ovenden 3 12.68x
Wolstanton 3 5.45x
Bank Newton 2 1111.11x
Dewsbury 2 3.67x
Donington 2 64.94x
Heene 2 128.21x
Hook 2 17.11x
Islington London 2 0.38x
Kensington London 2 0.67x
Liversedge 2 8.45x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 2.32x
St George Hanover 2 2.86x
Sutton In Macclesfield 2 16.27x
Wetherby 2 57.80x
Aldershot 1 2.71x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 5.50x
Long Preston 1 76.92x
Macclesfield 1 1.90x
Mile End Old Town 1 1.18x
Oxted 1 31.75x
Pinchbeck 1 18.18x
Runcorn 1 3.66x
Spalding 1 5.88x
St Marythe Less 1 48.31x
Tanshelf 1 23.53x
Weston 1 64.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 32
Sarah 22
Elizabeth 16
Jane 14
Emma 12
Alice 11
Ann 10
Annie 10
Maria 9
Martha 9
Eliza 8
Hannah 8
Margaret 7
Catherine 6
Clara 6
Emily 6
Agnes 5
Fanny 5
Florence 4
Amelia 3
Harriet 3
Lucy 3
Maggie 3
Susan 3
Betsy 2
Charlotte 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
John 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Matilda 2
Sophia 2
Susanna 2
Charlot 1
Deborah 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eunice 1
H.S. 1
Laura 1
Lavinia 1
Lillian 1
Lizzie 1
Lois 1
M. 1
Susey 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 45
Thomas 27
William 24
George 14
James 14
Robert 11
Charles 10
Alfred 8
Joseph 7
Frank 6
Samuel 6
Arthur 5
Henry 5
Harry 4
Richard 4
Albert 3
Benjamin 3
Edward 3
Herbert 3
Jacob 3
Stephen 3
Willie 3
A. 2
C. 2
Christopher 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Jas. 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Chas.Edwd. 1
Cristopher 1
E. 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fred. 1
G. 1
Hargreaves 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
J.W. 1
Johnathan 1
Johnson 1
Joshua 1
Josuah 1
Lincoln 1

FAQ

Middlebrook surname: questions and answers

How common was the Middlebrook surname in 1881?

In 1881, 550 people were recorded with the Middlebrook surname. That placed it at #6,274 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Middlebrook surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 549 in 2016. That gives Middlebrook a modern rank of #9,292.

What does the Middlebrook surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a brook situated between two other features.

What does the Middlebrook map show?

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