2000
#13,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,088
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Brabham
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely meaning "homestead by a stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,455 Americans carry the last name Brabham. That puts it at #13,564 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,615 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brabham 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Brabham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 139,615
Census rank
#13,564
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,141 bearers of the surname Brabham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13564th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brabham, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (31.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brabham
The surname Brabham is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words "bræmbel" and "ham," which together mean "the homestead or village in the bramble patch."
One of the earliest recorded references to the Brabham surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire, dating back to 1246. The name appears as "Brabaham," which is believed to be an earlier spelling variation. Additionally, the Brabham surname is mentioned in the Weavers' Pageant, a historical document from the 16th century that provides insight into the textile industry in Lancashire.
In the late 13th century, a family bearing the Brabham surname was recorded as residing in the village of Brindle, near Chorley in Lancashire. This village name is thought to be closely related to the surname's origins, as it is derived from the Old English words "brine" and "dael," meaning "the valley by the stream."
One of the earliest known individuals with the Brabham surname was John Brabham, who was born in Lancashire around 1520. He was a prominent figure in the local textile industry and served as a member of the Guild of Weavers in Preston.
Another notable individual with the Brabham surname was Sir William Brabham (1590-1662), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and supported King Charles I against the Parliamentarians.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Brabham family migrated to Yorkshire, where they established themselves as successful farmers and landowners. One of their descendants, Thomas Brabham (1742-1819), was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate for several years.
The Brabham surname also has a connection to the world of motorsports. Sir Jack Brabham (1926-2014) was an Australian racing driver and constructor who won the Formula One World Championship in 1959, 1960, and 1966. He founded the Brabham racing team, which competed in Formula One from 1962 to 1992.
Another notable individual with the Brabham surname was Robert Brabham (1802-1878), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Liverpool and Manchester during the Victorian era, including the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brabham
Among Census respondents with the surname Brabham, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (31.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Brabham 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 Brabham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.1% · 1,309
- Black or African American31.9% · 682
- Two or more races3.4% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brabham
Brabham 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
#13,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,216
+128 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 278 places
2020
#13,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,141
-75 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,382 | 2,088 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,660 | 2,216 | 0.75 | +128 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 278 places |
| 2020 | #13,564 | 2,141 | 0.72 | -75 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 96 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 Brabham 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 | #13,660 | #13,564 | 0.7% |
| Count | 2,216 | 2,141 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.72 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brabham bearers went from 2,216 to 2,141 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,660 to #13,564.
FAQ
Brabham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brabham?
Name Census estimates that about 2,455 living Americans carry the surname Brabham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,615 residents.
How common is Brabham?
Brabham ranks #13,564 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,141 people with the surname Brabham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,455), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Brabham.
Has Brabham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brabham went from 2,216 recorded bearers to 2,141. That is a decrease of 75 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,660 to #13,564.
What does the Census say about the background of Brabham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brabham, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (31.9%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Brabham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.1% (1,309 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brabham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.1%), Black (31.9%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Brabham (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 Brabham mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, likely meaning "homestead by a stream." 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 Brabham (0.72 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 common is the surname Brabham?
You can see how common the surname Brabham is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.