2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brachtenbach
A locational surname potentially referring to someone from a place named Brachten, Bach, or Brach.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Brachtenbach. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brachtenbach 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Brachtenbach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brachtenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brachtenbach
The surname Brachtenbach has its origins in Germany, specifically in the Rhineland region. The name can be traced back to the early Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century. It is derived from the Old German words "bracht," meaning "cultivated land" or "fallow," and "bach," meaning "stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream surrounded by cultivated land or a fallow field.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Brachtenbach appear in various medieval documents and records from the Rhineland area. For example, there are mentions of individuals with this surname in the records of the Archbishopric of Cologne from the 13th century.
One notable early bearer of the name was Johannes Brachtenbach, a scholar and theologian who lived in the late 14th century. He was born around 1350 and served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. Another early figure was Konrad Brachtenbach, a merchant and landowner from the town of Boppard, who was documented in records from the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Brachtenbach name appears in various records from the Palatinate region, including tax records and church registers. During this time, there were also variations in the spelling, such as Brachtenbacher or Brachtenbach.
One significant historical figure with this surname was Hans Brachtenbach, a Protestant reformer and theologian who lived from 1518 to 1590. He was a prominent figure in the Reformation movement in Germany and served as a pastor in several cities, including Heidelberg and Worms.
Another notable individual was Johann Georg Brachtenbach, a military officer and engineer who lived from 1621 to 1687. He served in the armies of various German states and was involved in the construction of fortifications and defensive works during the Thirty Years' War.
In the 18th century, the Brachtenbach name continued to be found in various parts of Germany, with some bearers of the name migrating to other regions or countries. For example, there are records of individuals with this surname settling in parts of the Netherlands and Switzerland during this period.
One notable figure from this time was Johann Friedrich Brachtenbach, a composer and organist who lived from 1753 to 1824. He was born in Mannheim and served as court organist in various German cities, including Weimar and Rudolstadt.
Throughout its history, the surname Brachtenbach has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name. While the name originated in the Rhineland region, it has since spread to other parts of Germany and beyond, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brachtenbach
Among Census respondents with the surname Brachtenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Brachtenbach 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 Brachtenbach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 99
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brachtenbach
Brachtenbach appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 807 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 Brachtenbach 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 | #151,532 | #152,339 | -0.5% |
| Count | 108 | 106 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brachtenbach bearers went from 108 to 106 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,339.
FAQ
Brachtenbach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brachtenbach?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Brachtenbach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Brachtenbach?
Brachtenbach ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Brachtenbach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Brachtenbach.
Has Brachtenbach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brachtenbach went from 108 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Brachtenbach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brachtenbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Brachtenbach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brachtenbach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Two or More Races (5.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Brachtenbach (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 Brachtenbach mean?
A locational surname potentially referring to someone from a place named Brachten, Bach, or Brach. 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 Brachtenbach (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 common is the surname Brachtenbach?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Brachtenbach on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.