2000
#15,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,701
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Bramer
An occupational surname derived from the Dutch word "bremer" meaning maker or seller of brooms.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,055 Americans carry the last name Bramer. That puts it at #15,694 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,790 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bramer 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 Bramer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,790
Census rank
#15,694
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,792 bearers of the surname Bramer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15694th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bramer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bramer
The surname Bramer is believed to have originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "bramar," meaning "to brag" or "to boast," suggesting that the name may have been initially assigned as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with a boastful or outspoken nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Wittenberg, Germany, where a Johannes Bramer was recorded in 1587. The name also appears in various historical documents from the region, including tax records and land registries.
In the 17th century, the Bramer name began to spread beyond Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the name in neighboring countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark. This was likely due to migration and trade during this period.
One notable bearer of the Bramer name was Johann Bramer, a German painter born in 1612 in Düsseldorf. He was known for his baroque-style paintings and worked primarily in Italy, where he gained recognition for his religious and mythological scenes.
Another prominent figure was Bernhard Bramer, a Dutch engraver and painter born in 1625 in Delft. He was a member of the Delft Painters' Guild and is best known for his etchings and illustrations of biblical scenes.
In the 18th century, the Bramer surname continued to appear in various records across Europe. One example is Johann Gottfried Bramer, a German composer and organist born in 1727 in Halberstadt. He composed several works for organ and was employed as a court musician in Quedlinburg.
The name also found its way to England, where records show a William Bramer being baptized in 1748 in the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of Europe and possibly through migration or trade connections.
In the 19th century, the Bramer surname can be found in various parts of the world, likely due to increased migration and exploration. One notable individual was Johann August Bramer, a German-American composer and musician born in 1805 in Erfurt, Germany. He immigrated to the United States and composed several works for piano and orchestra.
Overall, the surname Bramer has a rich history dating back several centuries, with its origins rooted in Germany and a possible connection to an Old German word describing someone's outspoken or boastful nature. While initially concentrated in Germany and neighboring regions, the name has since spread across Europe and beyond through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bramer
Among Census respondents with the surname Bramer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bramer 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 Bramer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 1,654
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 48
- Two or more races2.6% · 47
- Black or African American1.1% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bramer
Bramer 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
#17,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,596
-105 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 1,853 places
2020
#15,694
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,792
+196 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 1,911 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,752 | 1,701 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,605 | 1,596 | 0.54 | -105 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 1,853 places |
| 2020 | #15,694 | 1,792 | 0.60 | +196 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 1,911 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 Bramer 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 | #17,605 | #15,694 | 10.9% |
| Count | 1,596 | 1,792 | 12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.60 | 11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bramer bearers went from 1,596 to 1,792 (+12.3% change). The surname moved up 1,911 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,605 to #15,694.
FAQ
Bramer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bramer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,055 living Americans carry the surname Bramer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,790 residents.
How common is Bramer?
Bramer ranks #15,694 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,792 people with the surname Bramer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,055), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Bramer.
Has Bramer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bramer went from 1,596 recorded bearers to 1,792. That is an increase of 196 (+12.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,605 to #15,694.
What does the Census say about the background of Bramer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bramer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bramer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (1,654 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bramer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bramer (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 Bramer mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Dutch word "bremer" meaning maker or seller of brooms. 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 Bramer (0.60 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 Bramer?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Bramer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.