NameCensus.

UK surname

Seabrook

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a brook or stream by the sea.

In the 1881 census there were 1,468 people recorded with the Seabrook surname, ranking it #2,844 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,627, ranked #3,826, down from #2,844 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harpenden, London parishes and Tring. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Huntingdonshire, Maldon and Three Rivers.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Seabrook is 2,109 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.8%.

1881 census count

1,468

Ranked #2,844

Modern count

1,627

2016, ranked #3,826

Peak year

1911

2,109 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Seabrook had 1,468 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,844 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,627 in 2016, ranked #3,826.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,109 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Seabrook surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Seabrook surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Seabrook 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 1,006 #2,774
1861 historical 1,066 #2,638
1881 historical 1,468 #2,844
1891 historical 1,568 #2,833
1901 historical 1,845 #2,849
1911 historical 2,109 #2,370
1997 modern 1,775 #3,373
1998 modern 1,803 #3,441
1999 modern 1,789 #3,498
2000 modern 1,758 #3,541
2001 modern 1,725 #3,530
2002 modern 1,740 #3,581
2003 modern 1,681 #3,614
2004 modern 1,686 #3,607
2005 modern 1,657 #3,621
2006 modern 1,650 #3,639
2007 modern 1,648 #3,673
2008 modern 1,631 #3,737
2009 modern 1,660 #3,763
2010 modern 1,678 #3,805
2011 modern 1,614 #3,890
2012 modern 1,603 #3,841
2013 modern 1,635 #3,844
2014 modern 1,647 #3,838
2015 modern 1,620 #3,859
2016 modern 1,627 #3,826

Geography

Back to top

Where Seabrooks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harpenden, London parishes, Tring and Hemel Hempstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Huntingdonshire, Maldon, Three Rivers, Kettering and Braintree. 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 Harpenden Hertfordshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Tring Hertfordshire
5 Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Huntingdonshire 015 Huntingdonshire
2 Maldon 001 Maldon
3 Three Rivers 006 Three Rivers
4 Kettering 011 Kettering
5 Braintree 014 Braintree

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Seabrook

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Seabrook

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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Seabrook is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Seabrook 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

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

Meaning and origin of Seabrook

The surname Seabrook has its origins in England. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "sæ" meaning sea, and "broc" meaning brook or stream, denoting someone who lived near a stream that flowed into the sea.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Sebroce" in reference to a settlement in Somerset. The name likely emerged in this region during the Anglo-Saxon period.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records as "Seabrok", "Seabroke", and "Seabrooke", reflecting the different spellings used at the time. One notable example is John Seabrook, who is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

During the 14th century, the name Seabrook began to spread beyond its initial region of origin. Records from this period include Robert de Seabrook, a landowner in Norfolk mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1349, and William Seabrook, a merchant from London listed in the City Records of 1382.

As the surname continued to evolve, it took on various forms such as "Seabroke", "Seabruck", and "Seabrooke". In the 16th century, the spelling "Seabrook" became more prevalent. One notable individual from this time was Sir Thomas Seabrook (1520-1587), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Kent.

Other notable figures with the Seabrook surname include William Seabrook (1593-1677), a Puritan settler in colonial Massachusetts, and John Seabrook (1767-1845), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. In more recent times, Charles Seabrook (1815-1899) was a renowned architect in South Carolina, and William B. Seabrook (1886-1945) was an American writer and explorer known for his travel narratives.

The surname Seabrook continues to be found predominantly in England, but also has a presence in other English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia due to migration patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Seabrook families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Seabrook 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. Middlesex leads with 396 Seabrooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.75x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 396 2.75x
Hertfordshire 335 33.80x
Essex 154 5.43x
Surrey 139 1.98x
Bedfordshire 113 15.18x
Buckinghamshire 97 11.16x
Kent 65 1.32x
Suffolk 22 1.26x
Northamptonshire 19 1.40x
Staffordshire 19 0.39x
Cambridgeshire 14 1.54x
Lancashire 14 0.08x
Lincolnshire 14 0.61x
Oxfordshire 8 0.90x
Cheshire 7 0.22x
Derbyshire 7 0.31x
Worcestershire 7 0.37x
Yorkshire 7 0.05x
Channel Islands 5 1.17x
Gloucestershire 5 0.18x
Hampshire 5 0.17x
Sussex 5 0.21x
Warwickshire 5 0.14x
Cornwall 4 0.25x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.15x
Berkshire 2 0.19x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Northumberland 1 0.05x
Royal Navy 1 0.58x
Shropshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 57 Seabrooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.55x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 57 4.55x
Tring 50 188.96x
Islington London 48 3.44x
Hemel Hempstead 46 103.00x
Redbourn 37 341.64x
Hackney London 33 4.09x
Shoreditch London 33 5.29x
Luton 31 24.05x
Bethnal Green London 29 4.64x
St Albans St Peter 29 86.72x
St Marylebone London 28 3.65x
Leighton Buzzard 27 84.30x
Abbots Langley 26 176.63x
Harpenden 26 171.96x
Battersea 23 4.35x
Kensington London 23 2.88x
Watford 23 29.93x
Ivinghoe 21 309.28x
Paddington London 19 3.59x
Rickmansworth 19 69.62x
Wheathampstead 19 165.94x
Deptford St Paul 18 4.76x
Newington 17 3.20x
Tolleshunt D Arcy 17 420.79x
Cheddington 16 437.16x
St Pancras London 15 1.30x
Great Grimsby 14 9.59x
Rugeley 14 40.20x
Barking 13 15.65x
Chelsea London 13 3.00x
St George In East 13 13.29x
Sevenoaks 12 30.17x
St Luke London 12 5.20x
Bedford St Mary 11 57.35x
Pitstone 11 474.14x
Romford 11 24.52x
St Albans St Michael 11 99.37x
Birch 10 215.05x
Boreham 10 204.08x
Harrow 10 45.50x
Willesden 10 7.38x
Eaton Bray 9 119.68x
Enfield 9 9.54x
Heston 9 18.85x
Lewisham 9 3.44x
Leyton Low 9 15.60x
Mile End Old Town 9 3.97x
St Andrewthe Less 9 8.65x
Westminster St 9 16.98x
Berden 8 446.93x
Berkhampstead 8 35.91x
Bovingdon 8 154.14x
Fulham London 8 3.84x
Ridgmont 8 217.98x
Stansfield 8 392.16x
Ampthill 7 63.01x
Croydon 7 1.80x
Kings Norton 7 4.16x
Orpington 7 46.60x
Stradishall 7 372.34x
Wavendon 7 145.23x
Acton 6 7.12x
Chesham 6 18.73x
Colchester St Peter 6 52.86x
Edlesborough 6 75.76x
Hatfield 6 29.87x
Linslade 6 70.51x
Monks Coppenhall 6 5.01x
South Weald 6 24.68x
Springfield 6 48.23x
Sutton 6 11.84x
Totternhoe 6 172.41x
Birmingham 5 0.41x
Great Coggeshall 5 33.88x
Headington 5 36.26x
Leigh 5 78.00x
Little Warley 5 126.26x
Peterborough 5 5.11x
Tonbridge 5 2.83x
Westminster St John 5 2.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 79
Sarah 67
Elizabeth 60
Alice 32
Emma 31
Eliza 30
Annie 27
Jane 27
Ann 24
Ellen 22
Emily 22
Hannah 16
Charlotte 15
Fanny 14
Caroline 12
Maria 12
Clara 11
Kate 11
Louisa 11
Martha 11
Catherine 10
Harriet 9
Florence 8
Margaret 8
Ada 7
Edith 7
Minnie 7
Susan 7
Agnes 6
Lucy 5
Rose 5
Adelaide 4
Anne 4
Esther 4
Harriett 4
Jessie 4
Laura 4
Matilda 4
Sophia 4
Abigail 3
Eleanor 3
Grace 3
Julia 3
Lily 3
Maud 3
Arabella 2
Daisey 2
Ethel 2
Lizzie 2
Zilpah 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 104
George 71
John 60
Thomas 40
Charles 37
Arthur 23
James 23
Robert 23
Henry 21
Frederick 20
Walter 20
Alfred 19
Joseph 19
Albert 13
Harry 12
Samuel 12
Richard 10
Herbert 9
Frank 7
Fred 7
Daniel 6
Edward 6
Ernest 6
Francis 6
Benjamin 5
David 4
Edwin 4
Michael 4
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Reuben 3
Robt. 3
Sidney 3
Thos. 3
Abraham 2
Bertie 2
Earnest 2
Edgar 2
Harold 2
Jabez 2
Jesse 2
Jonathan 2
Mathew 2
Percy 2
Philip 2
Silas 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Tom 2
Willie 2

FAQ

Seabrook surname: questions and answers

How common was the Seabrook surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,468 people were recorded with the Seabrook surname. That placed it at #2,844 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Seabrook surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,627 in 2016. That gives Seabrook a modern rank of #3,826.

What does the Seabrook surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a brook or stream by the sea.

What does the Seabrook map show?

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