Bransen
Obscure Scandinavian name of unknown meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 863 living Americans carry the first name Bransen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bransen today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bransen births was 2017 (59 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bransen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
863
~ 1 in 397,166 Americans
Peak year
2017
59 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,456
Tracked since 1990
Census
Bransen in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 705 people with the first name Bransen, which placed it at #16,105 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#16,105
National first-name rank
People counted
705
705 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
84.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bransen
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Bransen is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Bransen described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Bransen at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 593
- Two or more races5.8% · 41
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 30
- Black or African American2.8% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 6
Popularity
Bransen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bransen from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 425 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bransen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bransen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bransens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, West Virginia recorded the most babies named Bransen, while West Virginia, Ohio, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bransen
The name Bransen is an intriguing one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. Some scholars believe it to be derived from the Old Norse word "brandr," meaning "sword" or "brand." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been associated with warriors or those skilled in the art of combat.
Others trace the roots of Bransen to the Germanic word "brant," which translates to "steep" or "rugged." This interpretation could indicate that the name was initially given to individuals residing in mountainous or hilly regions, perhaps as a nod to their resilience and strength.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bransen can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of narratives that recount the adventures and exploits of famous Vikings and their kin. In the Saga of Gisli Sursson, a character named Bransen is mentioned as a formidable warrior and trusted companion of the saga's protagonist.
Throughout history, the name Bransen has been borne by several notable individuals. One such figure was Bransen von Goethe, a German poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century. His works, though lesser-known today, were celebrated during his lifetime for their lyrical beauty and insightful commentary on the human condition.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Bransen Fjordson, a Norwegian explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the late 19th century. His detailed accounts of the harsh landscapes and indigenous cultures he encountered during his travels are still regarded as valuable historical records.
In the realm of religion, Bransen Thurgood was a revered Benedictine monk who lived in the 11th century. He is remembered for his contributions to the establishment of several monasteries throughout Europe and for his unwavering dedication to the preservation of ancient manuscripts and knowledge.
During the Renaissance period, Bransen Cavalcanti was an Italian painter renowned for his masterful use of color and his ability to capture the essence of human emotion on canvas. His works, which adorned the walls of churches and noble houses, are now housed in prestigious art galleries and museums around the world.
Lastly, in more recent times, Bransen Whitaker was a British botanist whose groundbreaking research on plant genetics and hybridization paved the way for advancements in agriculture and food production. His contributions to the field earned him numerous accolades and recognition from scientific organizations worldwide.
People
Bransen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bransen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bransen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bransen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 863 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bransen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 397,166 US residents.
Is Bransen a common name?
We classify Bransen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 872 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bransen most popular?
The single biggest year for Bransen was 2017, when 59 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bransen is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Bransen in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 705 people with the name Bransen, or 0.23 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #16,105 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Bransen in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Bransen?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Bransen appears almost entirely male. Of the 707 people counted with this name, 99.7% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Bransen?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Bransen is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Bransen most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Bransen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (593 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bransen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bransen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bransen in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Bransen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bransen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bransen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Bransen?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Bransen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.