Bradley Surname

1,951st
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 279,725 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Norfolk Island

Bradley Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Bradley.' Of course the local spots entitled the broad ley, i.e. broad meadow, would naturally be expected to be great. There are parishes, townships, tithings, hamlets, and chapelries of this name in Berkshire, Chesshire, Devon, Leicestershire, Hampshire, Worcestershire, Westmorland, Suffolk, Staffordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, and West Riding of Yorkshire; compare Broadmeadow and Bradfield.

Read More About This Surname

Bradley Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States179,2641:2,022188
England47,7501:1,167123
Australia15,6091:1,729213
Canada12,9911:2,836349
Ireland4,4011:1,070206
Northern Ireland4,3341:42645
New Zealand3,6591:1,238125
Scotland3,3821:1,583284
Wales1,6081:1,924188
South Africa1,5301:35,4104,526
Belize6551:543105
France4381:151,65023,523
Thailand4141:170,62427,488
Spain2861:163,46911,826
Germany2391:336,84333,164
Saudi Arabia1991:155,05422,057
Panama1341:29,1961,725
Philippines1341:755,50974,327
Iran1181:650,69935,122
Netherlands1151:146,84522,164
Singapore1111:49,6191,908
Dominican Republic1081:96,6014,209
Japan1061:1,206,07822,012
Argentina1031:414,98531,631
Jamaica1001:28,6992,167
Sweden991:99,4627,215
Switzerland991:82,9599,414
Brazil891:2,405,33073,774
Mexico841:1,477,69316,101
Isle of Man811:1,060165
Bahamas721:5,441536
Venezuela601:503,4019,605
Bahrain591:22,8584,582
Portugal571:182,7767,697
Trinidad and Tobago571:23,9292,651
Malaysia561:526,68326,095
Suriname511:10,8362,716
India471:16,320,540259,912
Norway471:109,41014,618
China451:30,384,9241,604
Guernsey441:1,465311
Hong Kong421:174,6542,959
Kenya341:1,358,23235,498
Israel331:259,32223,464
Iraq311:1,129,73113,630
Solomon Islands311:18,7113,619
Zimbabwe311:498,00841,116
Malta301:14,342837
Papua New Guinea301:271,79136,992
Italy291:2,108,85190,314
Jersey271:3,674721
Russia261:5,543,194237,148
Nigeria231:7,701,859170,290
Botswana221:99,40615,343
Denmark221:256,57819,736
Saint Lucia211:8,513937
Belgium201:574,83253,219
Ecuador191:837,15013,424
Puerto Rico191:186,8492,129
Saint Kitts and Nevis191:2,905410
Czechia181:590,74858,011
Indonesia181:7,347,177303,310
Anguilla161:84075
Finland151:366,44725,366
Cyprus141:63,2056,078
United States Virgin Islands141:7,8841,168
Guatemala131:1,237,1285,444
United Arab Emirates131:704,79025,221
Costa Rica121:398,3393,755
Austria101:851,54467,454
Chile101:1,761,64727,489
Afghanistan91:3,572,57620,130
Fiji91:99,3771,883
Qatar91:262,00030,726
South Korea91:5,693,362993
Turkey91:8,646,825130,497
Guam81:20,0153,029
Bermuda71:9,3261,286
Peru71:4,540,58934,489
Antigua and Barbuda61:16,5281,436
Cambodia61:2,581,1918,069
Cameroon61:3,461,511126,814
Greece61:1,846,63289,049
Norfolk Island61:38264
Colombia51:9,554,81425,159
Azerbaijan41:2,412,28025,948
Egypt41:22,983,93862,368
Kuwait41:950,17418,811
Morocco41:8,619,02573,251
Poland41:9,502,187181,606
Sri Lanka41:5,202,14012,146
Uruguay41:857,94031,713
Vanuatu41:65,8191,151
Vietnam41:23,161,5143,610
Algeria31:12,877,18484,902
Ghana31:9,006,89723,626
Ivory Coast31:7,690,41157,263
Mauritius31:431,13912,721
Oman31:1,229,3248,987
Uganda31:13,013,093160,157
Ukraine31:15,174,232372,501
Bangladesh21:79,678,38625,993
Belarus21:4,750,530139,516
Cayman Islands21:31,9461,715
Cuba21:5,761,35813,825
Dominica21:37,946685
Kazakhstan21:8,841,248174,813
Lebanon21:2,818,54225,087
Micronesia21:53,1221,264
Namibia21:1,204,70016,113
Nepal21:14,240,47817,812
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines21:56,3301,327
Taiwan21:11,722,37363,559
Tanzania21:26,470,806111,653
Zambia21:7,924,96145,994
Albania11:2,914,05529,474
American Samoa11:55,7583,072
Angola11:26,989,21411,853
Barbados11:287,4482,772
Bhutan11:616,0391,715
Bolivia11:10,616,43417,077
British Virgin Islands11:31,5941,029
Brunei11:418,7313,893
Cape Verde11:529,6426,792
Central African Republic11:4,515,3901,196
Congo11:4,989,09634,171
Djibouti11:914,9321,612
DR Congo11:73,879,570260,543
El Salvador11:6,343,8888,415
Eritrea11:4,751,901911
Estonia11:1,321,80440,178
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Honduras11:8,816,4429,272
Hungary11:9,816,27773,288
Iceland11:380,09011,096
Latvia11:2,050,04660,295
Libya11:6,243,9746,186
Lithuania11:3,034,58847,401
Luxembourg11:580,54215,155
Macau11:601,6301,582
Mali11:16,969,0354,067
Moldova11:3,561,36878,271
Monaco11:37,0664,748
Montserrat11:4,947471
Mozambique11:27,261,5697,432
Myanmar11:51,937,9852,166
New Caledonia11:276,22310,363
Northern Cyprus11:319,01110,202
Pakistan11:178,643,885213,220
Rwanda11:11,364,9785,947
Senegal11:14,579,34211,705
Serbia11:7,144,94838,459
Sudan11:37,510,19514,259
Transnistria11:474,69917,893
Tunisia11:610,62630,336
Turks and Caicos Islands11:34,329862
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland5,0471:878144
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England22,9351:1,063114
Scotland8871:4,220673
Wales2591:6,056396
Isle of Man71:7,753762
Jersey21:25,9413,069
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States31,6391:1,587162

Bradley (267,308) may also be a first name.

Bradley Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Bradley.' Of course the local spots entitled the broad ley, i.e. broad meadow, would naturally be expected to be great. There are parishes, townships, tithings, hamlets, and chapelries of this name in Berkshire, Chesshire, Devon, Leicestershire, Hampshire, Worcestershire, Westmorland, Suffolk, Staffordshire, Somerset, Wiltshire, and West Riding of Yorkshire; compare Broadmeadow and Bradfield.

Robert de Bradeleye, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Brice de Bradeleghe, Somerset, ibid.

William de Bradelegh, Devon, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Willelmus Brodelegh, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Agnes Brodelegh, 1379: ibid.

Agnes de Bradelay, 1379: ibid.

Richard de Bradleghe, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Henry de Bradleye, Somerset, 1 Edward III: ibid.

1749. Married — Noah Bradley and Jane Barnee: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

From the lands of Braidlie in the barony of Hawick, Roxburghshire. John de Bradely rendered homage at Berwick in 1291 (Bain, II, 508), and William de Bradeleye of the county of Roxburghe rendered homage in 1296 (ibid., II, p. 199). The seal of William is a curious one, bearing a tree supported by two hares, the dexter one beating a cymbal or drum, the sinister playing a pipe; bird in top, a dog coiled at base, and legend S' Will'i de Bradeley (ibid., p. 532). In Arngyllshire Bradley has been used as an Anglicized form of O'Brolachan, although the two names have no connection either in root or meaning.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(English) belonging to Bradley = 1 the Broad Lea [O.E brád + leáh] 2 (occasionally) Brada’s Lea [v. under Brade]

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

An English name, commonly used as a synonym of O’Brallaghan, q.v

A Guide to Irish Names (1964) by Edward MacLysaght

“Broad Meadow”. Place name in Lincolnshire, England. Also written as Bradlaugh.

“Broad Man”, in Old Scots (Braid).

South African Surnames (1965) by Eric Rosenthal

(English) One who came from Bradley (wide meadow), the name of many places in England.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

Parishes, &c,., in cos. Berks, Chester, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Hants, Stafford, &c.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

A location name in Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Wiltshire, Staffordshire.

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

Bradley Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Bradley Come From? nationality or country of origin

Bradley (Arabic: بردلي, Russian: Брадлей) occurs in The United States more than any other country/territory. It may occur as a variant:. For other potential spellings of this last name click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Bradley? popularity and diffusion

The last name is the 1,951st most numerous family name internationally, borne by approximately 1 in 26,053 people. Bradley occurs mostly in The Americas, where 69 percent of Bradley reside; 69 percent reside in North America and 68 percent reside in Anglo-North America. It is also the 3,933rd most commonly occurring first name at a global level, borne by 267,308 people.

The last name is most common in The United States, where it is carried by 179,264 people, or 1 in 2,022. In The United States it is mostly concentrated in: California, where 8 percent reside, Texas, where 8 percent reside and Florida, where 6 percent reside. Outside of The United States it is found in 155 countries. It is also common in England, where 17 percent reside and Australia, where 6 percent reside.

Bradley Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The occurrence of Bradley has changed over time. In The United States the number of people carrying the Bradley last name increased 567 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it increased 208 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Ireland it contracted 13 percent between 1901 and 2014; in Scotland it increased 381 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Wales it increased 621 percent between 1881 and 2014.

Bradley Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those holding the Bradley surname is predominantly Catholic (83%) in Ireland and Christian (100%) in Kenya.

In The United States those bearing the Bradley last name are 11.23% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 58% being registered to vote for the party.

The amount Bradley earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 11.05% less than the national average, earning 307,844 kr per year; in Peru they earn 50.09% more than the national average, earning S/. 29,095 per year; in South Africa they earn 116.72% more than the national average, earning R 515,016 per year; in United States they earn 4.14% less than the national average, earning $41,364 USD per year and in Canada they earn 4.27% more than the national average, earning $51,804 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

Bradley Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Bradley in the Russian language
Брадлейbradlej-
Bradley in the Arabic language
بردليbrdly-
برادليbradly-

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Bradley Reference & Research

Bradley One-name Study - A profile of the Bradley surname with contact details for a researcher who collects any information pertaining to it.

Bradley FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Bradley
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis