Find out how popular the last name Branch is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Branch.

Branch, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Branch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Branch in America

Branch is the 990th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Branch surname appeared 35,225 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Branch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Branch to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Branch

The surname Branch is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "branche," meaning a branch or bough of a tree. It likely originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a prominent branch or tree, or as an occupational name for someone who worked with branches or trees.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century in various English counties, such as Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Staffordshire. One of the earliest known bearers was Roger de la Braunche, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1221.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there are references to individuals with the surname Branch or variations like Branche and Bronche, including William de la Branche in Oxfordshire and Henry Braunche in Buckinghamshire.

The Domesday Book, a vast survey of landholdings and populations in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Branch, as it predates the widespread adoption of hereditary surnames.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was often associated with specific locations, such as Branchesley (now Brauncewell) in Lincolnshire, or Branche in Somerset, which may have influenced the name's spelling and regional variations.

Notable individuals bearing the surname Branch throughout history include:

1. John Branch (1782-1863), an American politician who served as the 19th Governor of North Carolina and as the 23rd United States Secretary of the Navy.

2. Mary Bolles Branch (1832-1912), an American author and editor, known for her work promoting women's rights and education.

3. Sir John Offley Shakspere Branch (1785-1867), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.

4. Thomas Branch (c. 1670-1719), an English mathematician and theologian, known for his work on the calculation of logarithms.

5. Elihu Branch (1843-1917), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 4th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indiana.

The surname Branch has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Branche, Bronche, Braunche, and Braunch, reflecting regional dialects and the evolution of the English language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Branch

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Branch.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Branch was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Branch has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Branch was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Branch, please contact us.

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