2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Braile
A locational surname derived from a place name in France or England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Braile. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Braile 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Braile in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Braile, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.7%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Braile
The surname "BRAILE" is believed to have originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Italian word "braida," which means "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals who lived or worked on meadows or pastures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BRAILE" can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni region in southern Italy. The name appears in a document dated around the 11th century, referring to a certain "Petrus de Braile."
In the 13th century, there are records of a noble family called "Braileschi" or "Brayleysii" in the city of Florence. This family is mentioned in historical accounts and legal documents from that time period, indicating their prominence in the region.
During the Renaissance, a notable figure with the surname "BRAILE" was Giovanni Braile, an Italian sculptor who lived from 1480 to 1550. He is known for his work on the facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, as well as several other churches in the city.
Another significant individual with this surname was Antonio Braile, a 16th-century Italian humanist and philosopher. Born in Naples in 1505, he wrote extensively on topics such as ethics, politics, and literature, and was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time.
In the 18th century, there was a renowned Italian composer named Ferdinando Braile, who lived from 1745 to 1818. He was known for his operas and instrumental works, and his compositions were performed throughout Italy and other parts of Europe.
The surname "BRAILE" has also been associated with various place names in Italy, such as the town of Braile in the province of Vibo Valentia, Calabria. This town's name is believed to be derived from the same root as the surname, further emphasizing the connection between the name and the concept of meadows or pastures.
While the surname "BRAILE" is not among the most common Italian surnames today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period and the Renaissance, with notable individuals bearing this name contributing to the arts, literature, and intellectual life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Braile
Among Census respondents with the surname Braile, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.7%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Braile 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 Braile surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.4% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino13.7% · 14
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Braile
Braile 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,647 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,647 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 6,220 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 Braile 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 | #160,975 | #154,755 | 3.9% |
| Count | 100 | 102 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Braile bearers went from 100 to 102 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 6,220 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #154,755.
FAQ
Braile surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Braile?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Braile. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Braile?
Braile ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Braile. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Braile.
Has Braile become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Braile went from 100 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Braile?
Among Census respondents with the surname Braile, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.7%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Braile in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Braile appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.4%), Hispanic (13.7%), Black (2.0%). 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 Braile (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 Braile mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in France or England. 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 Braile (0.03 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 are called Braile?
You can see how many people have the last name Braile on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.