2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Branagh
An Anglicized variant of the Irish surname 'Ó Branagáin', referring to one descended from Branagán.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 140 Americans carry the last name Branagh. That puts it at #140,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,448,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Branagh 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 Branagh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
140
1 in 2,448,245
Census rank
#140,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
122
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 122 bearers of the surname Branagh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 140525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Branagh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Branagh
The surname Branagh has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the Gaelic-speaking areas of the country. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "bran" meaning raven and "ach" meaning abounding in or belonging to, suggesting a connection to an area abundant in ravens or a place where ravens were commonly found.
The earliest known records of the surname Branagh date back to the 16th century in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is believed that the name was initially associated with the baronies of Iveagh and Kinelarty in the northeastern part of the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, which were records of royal grants and pardons issued during the reign of Elizabeth I. In these records, dated 1588, a "Patrick Branagh" is mentioned as receiving a pardon.
The Branagh surname has also been linked to various place names in Ireland, such as Branagh Townland in County Down and Branagh Lough in County Tyrone. These locations may have played a role in the origin and dissemination of the name.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Branagh include:
1. Kenneth Branagh (born 1960), an acclaimed Northern Irish actor, director, and screenwriter, best known for his adaptations of Shakespearean plays and roles in films like "Henry V," "Hamlet," and the "Harry Potter" series.
2. Sir William Branagh (1859-1929), a Scottish-born politician who served as a member of the British House of Commons representing Glasgow Camlachie from 1906 to 1918.
3. Donal Branagh (1940-2021), an Irish hurler who played for the Kilkenny senior hurling team in the 1960s and won three All-Ireland medals.
4. Eileen Branagh (1900-1962), an Australian author and playwright known for her novels set in rural Australia, such as "The Valley Between" and "The Painted Trail."
5. Patrick Branagh (fl. 1588), an Irishman from County Down who received a royal pardon, as mentioned in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth.
While the surname Branagh has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration. However, its historical origins and connections to specific regions and place names in Ireland remain an integral part of its genealogical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Branagh
Among Census respondents with the surname Branagh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Branagh 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 Branagh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 105
- Black or African American6.6% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Branagh
Branagh 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+14 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,987 places
2020
#140,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,583 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 4,987 places |
| 2020 | #140,525 | 122 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,583 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 Branagh 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 | #142,108 | #140,525 | 1.1% |
| Count | 117 | 122 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Branagh bearers went from 117 to 122 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,583 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #140,525.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Branagh
FAQ
Branagh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Branagh?
Name Census estimates that about 140 living Americans carry the surname Branagh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,448,245 residents.
How common is Branagh?
Branagh ranks #140,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 122 people with the surname Branagh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (140), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Branagh.
Has Branagh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Branagh went from 117 recorded bearers to 122. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #142,108 to #140,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Branagh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Branagh, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Branagh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Branagh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Black (6.6%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Branagh (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 Branagh mean?
An Anglicized variant of the Irish surname 'Ó Branagáin', referring to one descended from Branagán. 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 Branagh (0.04 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 Branagh?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Branagh on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.