2000
#17,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.54
Rare Last name
Bran
A Celtic surname derived from the word meaning "raven" or "crow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,332 Americans carry the last name Bran. That puts it at #14,170 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,979 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bran 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 Bran with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,979
Census rank
#14,170
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,034 bearers of the surname Bran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14170th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bran, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (12.6%) and Black (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bran
The surname Bran has its origins in Wales, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Welsh word "bran," meaning "crow" or "raven." This connection to the bird species suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname for someone with dark hair or complexion.
In medieval Welsh records, the name is often found spelled as "Bran" or "Brân," reflecting the use of the circumflex accent in the Welsh language. Some early examples of the name can be found in the Peniarth Manuscripts, a collection of Welsh manuscripts dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bran was Rhys Bran, a Welsh landowner and noble who lived in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents related to land disputes and property transactions in the region of Glamorgan, South Wales.
Another notable figure with this surname was Gwilym Bran (c. 1460 – c. 1530), a Welsh poet and bard who composed works in the traditional Welsh poetic styles of the time. His works are preserved in various manuscript collections, including the Red Book of Hergest.
In the 16th century, the name Bran can be found in the records of the College of Arms in London, which documented the heraldic arms and pedigrees of Welsh families. One such entry is for the family of Lewis Bran of Glamorgan, whose coat of arms included a raven or crow, likely a reference to the meaning of their surname.
During the 17th century, the surname Bran appears in parish records and court documents from various parts of Wales, indicating its continued use and spread throughout the country. One notable individual from this period was Edward Bran (1621 – 1691), a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
In the 18th century, the Bran surname is associated with the Welsh botanist and naturalist, William Bran (1742 – 1812), who conducted extensive studies on the flora and fauna of Wales and published several works on the subject.
While the surname Bran has Welsh origins, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with historical connections to Wales or the British Isles. However, its strongest roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to medieval and early modern Wales.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bran
Among Census respondents with the surname Bran, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (12.6%) and Black (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bran 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 Bran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino83.3% · 1,694
- White12.6% · 257
- Black or African American2.1% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 25
- Two or more races0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bran
Bran 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
#16,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,687
+221 bearers (+15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 765 places
2020
#14,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,034
+347 bearers (+20.6%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 2,717 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,652 | 1,466 | 0.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,887 | 1,687 | 0.57 | +221 bearers (+15.1%) | Up 765 places |
| 2020 | #14,170 | 2,034 | 0.68 | +347 bearers (+20.6%) | Up 2,717 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 Bran 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 | #16,887 | #14,170 | 16.1% |
| Count | 1,687 | 2,034 | 20.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.68 | 19.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bran bearers went from 1,687 to 2,034 (+20.6% change). The surname moved up 2,717 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,887 to #14,170.
FAQ
Bran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bran?
Name Census estimates that about 2,332 living Americans carry the surname Bran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,979 residents.
How common is Bran?
Bran ranks #14,170 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,034 people with the surname Bran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,332), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Bran.
Has Bran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bran went from 1,687 recorded bearers to 2,034. That is an increase of 347 (+20.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,887 to #14,170.
What does the Census say about the background of Bran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bran, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 83.3%. The next largest groups are White (12.6%) and Black (2.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (1,694 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (83.3%), White (12.6%), Black (2.1%). 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 Bran (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 Bran mean?
A Celtic surname derived from the word meaning "raven" or "crow". 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 Bran (0.68 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 Bran?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Bran on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.