It is possible to look at the distribution of the Brimer, Brymer, Bremner and Brebner surnames using data from the 1881 census in Archer’s Surname Atlas.[i] The names are mapped below both by actual number showing the full spread of the surnames and by number per thousand of the population showing where the surnames were most concentrated in terms of the county population.
Brimer
There were a total of 79 people bearing the surname Brimer in the 1881 census, according to the transcription used by the surname atlas and was ranked 22823 in the list of surnames. The name was most populous in Durham and Angus in 1881. Density, however is more likely to relate to the place of origin for a name and this is shown to be Angus followed by Fife.
It is stated that ‘fewer the instances of a surname the less a Banwell map is likely to tell you about its history, and the more you will find wide variation in final figures across adjoining areas’.[ii] It is thought to be a potential problem for any surname with less than 500 incidences. i.e. Brimer (79 people). Looking at both actual numbers and density side by side helps to counteract any potential anomalies.
| County | County Population | Actual No. | per 100,000 | Banwell |
| Angus | 268865 | 20 | 7 | 27.74 |
| Fifeshire | 172365 | 7 | 4 | 15.14 |
| Co. Durham | 866681 | 25 | 3 | 10.76 |
| Midlothian | 390188 | 7 | 2 | 6.69 |
| Northumberland | 434014 | 6 | 1 | 5.16 |
| Lanarkshire | 940436 | 7 | 1 | 2.78 |
| Yorkshire N.Riding | 338890 | 2 | 1 | 2.2 |
Table 1:1881 Counties in 1881 with a Banwell Index for the Brimer Surname Greater than 1
Brymer
There were a total of 166 people bearing the surname Brymer in the 1881 census, according to the transcription used by the surname atlas and was ranked 14602 in the list of surnames. The surname was most populous and densest in Angus in 1881.
| County | County Population | Actual No. | per 100,000 | Banwell |
| Angus | 268865 | 74 | 28 | 49.47 |
| Stirlingshire | 107177 | 13 | 12 | 21.8 |
| Caernarvonshire | 117872 | 6 | 5 | 9.15 |
| Merionethshire | 53359 | 2 | 4 | 6.74 |
| Northumberland | 434014 | 12 | 3 | 4.97 |
| Fifeshire | 172365 | 4 | 2 | 4.17 |
| Dorset | 191377 | 4 | 2 | 3.76 |
| Co. Durham | 866681 | 15 | 2 | 3.11 |
| Surrey | 1437217 | 13 | 1 | 1.63 |
| Essex | 575602 | 4 | 1 | 1.25 |
| Lincolnshire | 466531 | 3 | 1 | 1.16 |
| Somerset | 468639 | 3 | 1 | 1.15 |
Table 2: Counties in 1881 with a Banwell Index for the Brymer Surname Greater than 1.
Brebner
There were a total of 386 people bearing the surname Brebner in the 1881 census, according to the transcription used by the surname atlas and was ranked 8209 in the list of surnames.74% of the population was found in Aberdeenshire and Kincardine with Aberdeen having the highest numbers and Kincardine the highest density.
| County | County Population | Actual No. | per 100,000 | Banwell |
| Kincardineshire | 35495 | 60 | 169 | 130.31 |
| Aberdeenshire | 269390 | 228 | 85 | 65.25 |
| Banffshire | 59952 | 7 | 12 | 9 |
| Clackmannanshire | 24031 | 2 | 8 | 6.42 |
| Westmorland | 64099 | 5 | 8 | 6.01 |
| Angus | 268865 | 15 | 6 | 4.3 |
| Isle of Wight | 73595 | 4 | 5 | 4.19 |
| Midlothian | 390188 | 17 | 4 | 3.36 |
| Dunbartonshire | 78322 | 2 | 3 | 1.97 |
Table 3: Counties in 1881 with a Banwell Index for the Brebner Surname Greater than 1.
Bremner
The Bremner surname had the largest population of the four names with 2568 name bearers counted in the 1881 census, according to the transcription used by the surname atlas. It was ranked 1744 in the list of surnames. Caithness was the largest county in te4rms of both population and density, accounting for 62% instances of the name.
| County | County Population | Actual No. | per 100,000 | Banwell |
| Caithness | 39880 | 640 | 1605 | 185.64 |
| Banffshire | 59952 | 185 | 309 | 35.7 |
| Moray | 45140 | 82 | 182 | 21.01 |
| Orkney Isles | 32058 | 58 | 181 | 20.93 |
| Aberdeenshire | 269390 | 411 | 153 | 17.65 |
| Kincardineshire | 35495 | 45 | 127 | 14.67 |
| Sutherland | 22439 | 17 | 76 | 8.76 |
| Angus | 268865 | 199 | 74 | 8.56 |
| Clackmannanshire | 24031 | 14 | 58 | 6.74 |
| Bute | 17673 | 10 | 57 | 6.55 |
Table 3: Counties in 1881 with a Banwell Index for the Bremner Surname Greater than 6.
In the 1881 census the four names, therefore, were predominately in Eastern Scotland but had their own unique geographical distribution pattern.
[i] Archer, Steve. (2003) The British 19th Century Surname Atlas. http://www.archersoftware.co.uk/satlas01.htm : accessed September 2015 – June 2016.
[ii] Rogers, Colin D. (1995) The Surname Detective. Manchester: Manchester University Press. pp. 16-28.
Brimer-Brymer database last updated at 2016-07-02 00:29:43 with 4028 census records and 2856 individuals