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

Brail, 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 Brail surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brail in America

Brail is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brail surname appeared 124 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brail.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brail 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 Brail

The surname BRAIL is of Anglo-Saxon origin, originating in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "braed," meaning "broad," and was likely a descriptive surname given to someone of a broad or stocky build.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname BRAIL can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Braid." This suggests that the name had already been established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, such as "Brayd," "Breyd," and "Brayle." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in written English at the time and the influence of regional dialects.

One notable early bearer of the surname was Richard Braid, a merchant from Yorkshire, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1191. Another was John Brayle, a landowner in Somerset, whose name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273.

During the 14th century, the surname BRAIL began to spread to other parts of England, with records showing instances in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. In 1327, a Walter Brayle was recorded as a taxpayer in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire.

In the 15th century, the spelling of the surname seems to have solidified as "BRAIL," with examples such as Robert BRAIL, a merchant from Bristol mentioned in the Customs Accounts of 1449, and William BRAIL, a landowner in Gloucestershire recorded in the Feet of Fines of 1478.

Notable individuals bearing the surname BRAIL in later centuries include:

1. Thomas BRAIL (1620-1690), an English Puritan minister and author.
2. James BRAIL (1723-1796), a Scottish mathematician and inventor.
3. Mary BRAIL (1793-1876), an English novelist and playwright.
4. John BRAIL (1845-1922), an American politician and lawyer from New York.
5. George BRAIL (1878-1942), a British artist and illustrator.

The surname BRAIL has also been connected to various place names in England, such as Braylesford in Derbyshire and Brailsford in Lincolnshire, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have derived it from these locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brail

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

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 Brail 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 Brail 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 Brail was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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