2000
#8,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,402
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Braithwaite
From the Old English words "bræþ" and "þweit," meaning a person who lived on a broad clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,579 Americans carry the last name Braithwaite. That puts it at #7,955 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,854 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Braithwaite 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 Braithwaite with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,854
Census rank
#7,955
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,993 bearers of the surname Braithwaite in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7955th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Braithwaite, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Braithwaite
The surname Braithwaite has its origins in the northern English counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, which are now part of the modern county of Cumbria. It dates back to the 12th century and is derived from the Old Norse words "breidr" meaning broad and "vath" meaning ford, referring to a location where a wide, shallow river crossing could be found.
The earliest known record of the name appears in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1208 as "Bredwath." Over time, the spelling evolved to reflect local dialects, appearing in various forms such as Braythwayt, Braithwaite, and Brathwait.
One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was John de Braythewayt, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Westmorland in 1292. In the 14th century, the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland, indicating its prevalence in the region.
The Braithwaite family held lands in the Manor of Brackenthwaite in Cumberland, and the name is associated with several place names in the area, such as Braithwaite near Keswick and Braithwaite How, a fell in the Lake District.
Notable bearers of the surname Braithwaite include:
1. Richard Braithwait (1588-1673), an English poet, and writer who published several works, including "The English Gentleman" and "Drunken Barnaby's Four Journeys."
2. John Braithwaite (1609-1689), an English Quaker leader and early advocate of pacifism, who played a significant role in the Quaker movement's development.
3. William Braithwaite (1778-1855), an English civil engineer and builder, best known for his work on the Holyhead Road and the Menai Suspension Bridge.
4. Joseph Bevan Braithwaite (1818-1905), an English lawyer and author, who wrote extensively on the history and genealogy of Quaker families.
5. William Stanley Braithwaite (1878-1962), an American poet, critic, and editor, who played a significant role in the Harlem Renaissance literary movement.
The Braithwaite surname has a rich history, deeply rooted in the rugged landscapes of northern England, and has been carried by individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Braithwaite
Among Census respondents with the surname Braithwaite, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Braithwaite 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 Braithwaite surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.7% · 2,422
- Black or African American29.3% · 1,170
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 192
- Two or more races4.1% · 163
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Braithwaite
Braithwaite 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
#8,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,898
+496 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Up 386 places
2020
#7,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,993
+95 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 515 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,856 | 3,402 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,470 | 3,898 | 1.32 | +496 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 386 places |
| 2020 | #7,955 | 3,993 | 1.34 | +95 bearers (+2.4%) | Up 515 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 Braithwaite 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 | #8,470 | #7,955 | 6.1% |
| Count | 3,898 | 3,993 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.34 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Braithwaite bearers went from 3,898 to 3,993 (+2.4% change). The surname moved up 515 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,470 to #7,955.
FAQ
Braithwaite surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Braithwaite?
Name Census estimates that about 4,579 living Americans carry the surname Braithwaite. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,854 residents.
How common is Braithwaite?
Braithwaite ranks #7,955 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 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 3,993 people with the surname Braithwaite. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,579), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 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 Braithwaite.
Has Braithwaite become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Braithwaite went from 3,898 recorded bearers to 3,993. That is an increase of 95 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,470 to #7,955.
What does the Census say about the background of Braithwaite?
Among Census respondents with the surname Braithwaite, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Braithwaite in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.7% (2,422 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Braithwaite appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.7%), Black (29.3%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Braithwaite (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 Braithwaite mean?
From the Old English words "bræþ" and "þweit," meaning a person who lived on a broad clearing. 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 Braithwaite (1.34 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 Americans have the surname Braithwaite?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.