2000
#10,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,776
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Braga
A Portuguese and Galician topographic surname referring to someone from a place abundant in heather or broom shrubs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,166 Americans carry the last name Braga. That puts it at #8,664 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,274 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Braga 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 Braga with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 82,274
Census rank
#8,664
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,633 bearers of the surname Braga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8664th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Braga, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.2%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Braga
The surname Braga originated in the northwestern region of Portugal, specifically in the city of Braga, which is one of the oldest cities in the country. The name is derived from the Latin word "bracara," which was the name given to the ancient Roman settlement in the area.
During the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the city of Braga was an important center of trade and commerce. This led to the name "Braga" gaining prominence and becoming a common surname among the inhabitants of the region. The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and records.
One of the earliest known references to the name Braga can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese genealogical manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Braga, indicating that it was already well-established at that time.
In the 14th century, the name Braga appeared in the "Chancelaria de D. Pedro I" (Chancellery of D. Pedro I), a collection of royal decrees and documents from the reign of King Pedro I of Portugal. This further solidifies the historical presence of the surname in the region.
One notable individual with the surname Braga was Pedro de Braga (1528-1592), a Portuguese Catholic prelate who served as the Archbishop of Braga from 1574 until his death. He was a prominent figure in the Counter-Reformation movement and played a significant role in the Council of Trent.
Another notable figure was André de Braga (1585-1639), a Portuguese poet and playwright who was celebrated for his contributions to the literary and cultural scene of the 17th century. His works, including plays and poems, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and continue to be studied today.
In the 18th century, João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, Visconde de Almeida Garrett (1799-1854), a renowned Portuguese writer, poet, and politician, was born into a family with the surname Braga. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the Romantic movement in Portuguese literature.
Towards the end of the 19th century, João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, Visconde de Almeida Garrett (1835-1911), a Portuguese architect and engineer, gained recognition for his contributions to the design and construction of several notable buildings and infrastructure projects in Portugal.
In the 20th century, José Diogo Braga (1903-1987), a Portuguese painter and sculptor, became renowned for his unique artistic style and his works that often depicted scenes from rural life in Portugal. His paintings and sculptures are featured in numerous museums and galleries across the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Braga
Among Census respondents with the surname Braga, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.2%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Braga 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 Braga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 2,929
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.2% · 260
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 247
- Two or more races3.3% · 121
- Black or African American1.9% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Braga
Braga 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
#9,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,402
+626 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 1,038 places
2020
#8,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,633
+231 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 893 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,595 | 2,776 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,557 | 3,402 | 1.15 | +626 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 1,038 places |
| 2020 | #8,664 | 3,633 | 1.22 | +231 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 893 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 Braga 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 | #9,557 | #8,664 | 9.3% |
| Count | 3,402 | 3,633 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.22 | 5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Braga bearers went from 3,402 to 3,633 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 893 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,557 to #8,664.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Braga
FAQ
Braga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Braga?
Name Census estimates that about 4,166 living Americans carry the surname Braga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,274 residents.
How common is Braga?
Braga ranks #8,664 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 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 3,633 people with the surname Braga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,166), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 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 Braga.
Has Braga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Braga went from 3,402 recorded bearers to 3,633. That is an increase of 231 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,557 to #8,664.
What does the Census say about the background of Braga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Braga, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.2%) and Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Braga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (2,929 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Braga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.2%), Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Braga (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 Braga mean?
A Portuguese and Galician topographic surname referring to someone from a place abundant in heather or broom shrubs. 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 Braga (1.22 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 have the last name Braga?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Braga on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.