Find out how popular the last name Bracken is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bracken.

Bracken, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bracken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bracken in America

Bracken is the 4299th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bracken surname appeared 8,265 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bracken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bracken to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bracken

The surname Bracken originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "bracken" which refers to a type of fern commonly found in the countryside. As such, the name was likely adopted as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a bracken-covered area.

One of the earliest known records of the Bracken name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1185, mentioning a William de Bracken. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname, but it does mention several place names that may be connected, such as Brackenthwaite in Cumberland and Brackenfield in Derbyshire.

In the 13th century, the spelling of the name varied, with forms like Braken, Brakyn, and Brakene appearing in various records. Place names like Brackenrigg in Lancashire and Brackenborough in Lincolnshire also emerged during this period, suggesting the name's geographical spread.

One notable early bearer of the surname was Sir Robert de Bracken, a 14th-century knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence under Edward III. Another was William Bracken, a 15th-century English merchant and landowner from Yorkshire, whose descendants established themselves as gentry.

Among the more famous individuals with the Bracken surname is Reginald Bracken (1905-1986), a British actor known for his roles in films like "The Quatermass Xperiment" and "Peeping Tom." Another is Brendan Bracken (1901-1958), a prominent British politician and close confidant of Winston Churchill during World War II.

In the literary world, Anne Bracken (1670-1743) was an Irish poet and playwright, while Harry M. Bracken (1900-1993) was an American author best known for his Western novels. The name has also been associated with several notable academics, including Edmund Bracken (1834-1897), an Irish mathematician and professor at Queen's University Belfast.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bracken

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bracken.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bracken was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bracken has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bracken was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bracken, please contact us.

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