2000
#12,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,372
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Braggs
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the broad oak trees" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,809 Americans carry the last name Braggs. That puts it at #12,147 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,020 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Braggs 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
2.8K
1 in 122,020
Census rank
#12,147
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,450 bearers of the surname Braggs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12147th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Braggs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Braggs
The surname Braggs is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "bræge," which means "brow" or "ridge," referring to a prominent geographical feature such as a hill or a cliff.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Braggs can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a certain Willelmus de Bragges. This suggests that the name was already in use during the late Anglo-Saxon period and may have initially been a locative surname, referring to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Bragge, Bragges, and Bragg, reflecting the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. One notable example is Roger Bragge, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Braggs. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Braggesleye (now Bradeley) in Staffordshire and Braggingham in Lincolnshire.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Braggs. One of the earliest recorded was John Braggs (c. 1350-1414), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire in the early 15th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Braggs (1545-1610), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Barnstaple.
In the 17th century, the Braggs family gained prominence in the American colonies. George Braggs (1623-1692) was one of the earliest settlers in Rhode Island, arriving in 1638 and becoming a respected figure in the local community. His descendants played significant roles in the development of the colony and the early United States.
During the 18th century, the name Braggs was associated with several military figures. Captain John Braggs (1715-1778) was a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. Another notable figure was Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Braggs (1750-1823), who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
In the 19th century, the Braggs family continued to make contributions to various fields. Reverend John Braggs (1810-1882) was an influential Baptist minister and author, known for his work in promoting religious education. Additionally, Edward Braggs (1835-1912) was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Braggs
Among Census respondents with the surname Braggs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Braggs 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 Braggs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American79.5% · 1,947
- White9.8% · 241
- Two or more races6.8% · 166
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Braggs
Braggs 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
#12,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,568
+196 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 62 places
2020
#12,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,450
-118 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,070 | 2,372 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,132 | 2,568 | 0.87 | +196 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 62 places |
| 2020 | #12,147 | 2,450 | 0.82 | -118 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 15 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 Braggs 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 | #12,132 | #12,147 | -0.1% |
| Count | 2,568 | 2,450 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.82 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Braggs bearers went from 2,568 to 2,450 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,132 to #12,147.
FAQ
Braggs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Braggs?
Name Census estimates that about 2,809 living Americans carry the surname Braggs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,020 residents.
How common is Braggs?
Braggs ranks #12,147 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,450 people with the surname Braggs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,809), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Braggs.
Has Braggs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Braggs went from 2,568 recorded bearers to 2,450. That is a decrease of 118 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,132 to #12,147.
What does the Census say about the background of Braggs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Braggs, the largest self-reported group is Black at 79.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Two or More Races (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Braggs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (1,947 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Braggs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (79.5%), White (9.8%), Two or More Races (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 Braggs (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 Braggs mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the broad oak trees" in Old English. 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 Braggs (0.82 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 surname Braggs?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.