2000
#2,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,032
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.83
Uncommon Last name
Braden
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "broad valley" or "broad hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,388 Americans carry the last name Braden. That puts it at #2,798 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Braden 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 Braden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 23,822
Census rank
#2,798
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,547 bearers of the surname Braden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2798th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Braden, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Braden
The surname Braden originated in England, specifically from the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "brad" and "dun," which together mean "broad hill" or "broad down." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or elevated area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Braden can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bradedun." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population across much of England and parts of Wales.
In the 13th century, the name was also recorded in various forms such as "Bradden," "Bradene," and "Braddene." These variations reflect the natural evolution of language and spelling over time.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Braden throughout history. One example is Sir John Braden (c. 1480 - 1537), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another is Robert Braden (1609 - 1683), a prominent Puritan minister and author in colonial New England.
In the 18th century, Sampson Braden (1745 - 1823) was a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He later became a Member of Parliament and was knighted for his services.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Charles Braden (1830 - 1905), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Braden Steel Company in Pennsylvania. He was known for his support of educational institutions and charitable causes.
Lastly, Spruille Braden (1894 - 1978) was an American diplomat and politician who served as Ambassador to several countries, including Colombia, Cuba, and Peru. He played a significant role in shaping U.S. foreign policy in Latin America during his career.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Braden throughout history, reflecting its English origins and the diverse paths its bearers have taken across various professions and parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Braden
Among Census respondents with the surname Braden, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Braden 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 Braden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 10,270
- Black or African American9.6% · 1,202
- Two or more races4.1% · 519
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 377
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 83
Timeline
Historical Census data for Braden
Braden 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
#2,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,603
+571 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 4.61
Rank movement Down 100 places
2020
#2,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,547
-1,056 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 4.20
Rank movement Down 150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,548 | 13,032 | 4.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,648 | 13,603 | 4.61 | +571 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 100 places |
| 2020 | #2,798 | 12,547 | 4.20 | -1,056 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 150 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 Braden 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 | #2,648 | #2,798 | -5.7% |
| Count | 13,603 | 12,547 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.61 | 4.20 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Braden bearers went from 13,603 to 12,547 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 150 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,648 to #2,798.
FAQ
Braden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Braden?
Name Census estimates that about 14,388 living Americans carry the surname Braden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,822 residents.
How common is Braden?
Braden ranks #2,798 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,547 people with the surname Braden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,388), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Braden.
Has Braden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Braden went from 13,603 recorded bearers to 12,547. That is a decrease of 1,056 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,648 to #2,798.
What does the Census say about the background of Braden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Braden, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Braden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (10,270 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Braden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (9.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Braden (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 Braden mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "broad valley" or "broad hill." 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 Braden (4.20 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 share the surname Braden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.