The Bristow surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,323 people carried this name — #4,819 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 40,300 people counted. That is up 3% from 7,134 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bristow surname

Habitational surname for someone who lived in Bristol.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bristow» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Bristol’.

His entry covers Bristow, Bristowe and Bristoll.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 135 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bristow was found among the farmers of Lincolnshire: 8 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Lincolnshire 8

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

33 families named Bristow, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 163 people lived in those households, 4.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 12
North Carolina 8
Virginia 7
Maryland 3
New York 1
Pennsylvania 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 231 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Bristow in American newspapers,
1876.

Newspaper page from Independent Statesman carrying the name Bristow
Independent Statesman 1876-05-04
Newspaper page from Independent Statesman carrying the name Bristow
Independent Statesman 1876-05-11
Newspaper page from Independent Statesman carrying the name Bristow
Independent Statesman 1876-05-04

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Bristow in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

14,618 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bristow. The most, 3,253, date from the 1910s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 5,198
South Australia 3,045
New South Wales 2,520
Queensland 2,033
Western Australia 1,384
Tasmania 330
ACT (Canberra) 60
Northern Territory 14

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bristow.

Who carried it

People named Bristow,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Robert Bristow
    Robert Bristow 1688–1737 · politician
  • Robert Bristow
    Robert Bristow 1688–1737 · politician
  • Thomas Edward Bristow d. 1842 · judge
  • Leonard Bristow d. 2002 · mathematician
  • William Bristow d. 1758
  • Elizabeth Rebecca Bristow d. 1825

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bristow,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States648 records

648 records of the Bristow name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 260
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 104
  • Other U.S. records 284
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Olive L. Bristow

    Born 1921 in Virginia. Enlisted 1941 at Charlotte, North Carolina; machinist. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at New Providence Baptist Church Cemetery, South Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Ray Bristow

    Born 1931; from Gaston, Oregon. U.S. Marine Corps; killed in action 1952 in Korea. Buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen Bristow

    Arrived at New York in 1847 aboard the Huguenot from Liverpool, aged 29; servant. From Great Britain.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 648 records for Bristow in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia433 records

433 records of the Bristow name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 274
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 98
  • Other Australian records 61
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Bristow

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Marquis of Hastings, arriving 1828; certificate of freedom 1835.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Chas Bristow

    Arrived in Victoria in 1887 aboard the Austral, aged 17; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Roy Frederick Bristow

    Labourer of Yackandandah, Victoria; died 1967.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 433 records for Bristow in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada52 records

52 records of the Bristow name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 19
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 15
  • Other Canadian records 18
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Robert Charles Bristow

    Lost in the sinking of the Titanic, 1912, aged 36; a crew member. Body recovered and buried at Halifax.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Henry Bristow

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Harriett Bristow

    Died 1921 in Windsor, Hants, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 52 records for Bristow in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom34 records

34 records of the Bristow name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 23
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 10
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Richard Bristow

    Buried in 1798 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 47.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. Bristow

    Lance Corporal, Middlesex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Bristow

    Buried in 1813 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 29.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 34 records for Bristow in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand10 records

10 records of the Bristow name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 6
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Hunter Bristow

    Died 1900, aged 51; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jennifer May Bristow

    Died 1953; buried at Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alec Charles Bristow

    Died 1992, aged 70; buried at Belfast Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Bristow in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Bristow name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Reuben Bristow

    Died 1957 in Utrecht, aged 64.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register John Chapman William Bristow

    In the population register of Middelburg; born 1880.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bristow.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bristow is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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