2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Braathen
A Norwegian locational surname derived from the place name "Braten".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Braathen. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Braathen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Braathen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Braathen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Braathen
The surname "Braathen" is of Norwegian origin, and its earliest known roots can be traced back to the 14th century in the Scandinavian region. The name is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "bratt" and "heimr," which together translate to "steep homestead" or "steep farm." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or near a steep hill or mountainous terrain.
During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various Norwegian and Danish records, often spelled slightly differently, such as "Braaten," "Braatten," or "Bratthen." One of the earliest known mentions of the name was found in a 1487 census record from the town of Tønsberg, Norway, where a man named "Eirik Braathen" was listed as a resident.
In the 16th century, the name began to spread beyond Norway and Denmark, with some Braathen families migrating to other parts of Scandinavia and eventually further afield. In 1612, a man named "Hans Braathen" was recorded as a merchant living in the Swedish city of Gothenburg.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname "Braathen" was Nils Braathen, a Norwegian farmer and politician who lived from 1735 to 1820. He served as a representative in the Norwegian Constituent Assembly, which drafted the country's constitution in 1814.
Another prominent figure was Christian Braathen, a Norwegian businessman and aviation pioneer, who lived from 1904 to 1989. He founded the airline company Braathens SAFE, which later became Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), one of the largest airlines in Europe.
In the literary world, Bjørn Braathen (1916-1988) was a renowned Norwegian poet and novelist, known for works such as "Prosa og Dikt" (Prose and Poetry) and "Avskjed med Regnet" (Farewell to the Rain).
The name "Braathen" has also been associated with several notable athletes, including Peder Braathen (1860-1930), a Norwegian cross-country skier who won multiple national championships in the late 19th century. More recently, Lasse Braathen (born 1980) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Norway, who won multiple medals in international competitions.
While these are just a few examples, the surname "Braathen" has a rich and diverse history, spanning various professions and regions over the course of several centuries. Its origins can be traced back to the rugged landscapes of medieval Norway, where the name likely first emerged as a descriptor of one's place of residence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Braathen
Among Census respondents with the surname Braathen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Braathen bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Braathen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 105
- Two or more races8.4% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Braathen
Braathen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+10 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 991 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+7 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,465 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 991 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 4,465 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Braathen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #147,253 | #142,788 | 3.0% |
| Count | 112 | 119 | 6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Braathen bearers went from 112 to 119 (+6.3% change). The surname moved up 4,465 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #142,788.
FAQ
Braathen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Braathen?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Braathen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Braathen?
Braathen ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Braathen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Braathen.
Has Braathen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Braathen went from 112 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 7 (+6.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Braathen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Braathen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Braathen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Braathen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Two or More Races (8.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Braathen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Braathen mean?
A Norwegian locational surname derived from the place name "Braten". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Braathen (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Braathen?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Braathen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.