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

Brandal, 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 Brandal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brandal in America

Brandal is the 82317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brandal surname appeared 229 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brandal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brandal 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 Brandal

The surname Brandal originated in Norway during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old Norse word "brandr," meaning "fire" or "torch," combined with the suffix "-al," which indicates a person's occupation or place of residence. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a burning or clearing area.

In medieval Norway, surnames often derived from occupation, location, or personal characteristics. The Brandal name likely originated in rural areas where burning and clearing land for agriculture was a common practice. It is possible that the earliest bearers of this name were associated with this task or resided near areas where such activities took place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Brandal surname can be found in the Norwegian Census of 1665, where a person named Torbjørn Brandal is listed as living in the Gudbrandsdalen region of Norway. This region, known for its rugged terrain and harsh climate, may have been an area where land clearing through burning was prevalent.

The name also appears in various church records and land registries throughout the 17th and 18th centuries in Norway. For example, in 1712, a man named Ole Brandal is recorded as owning a farm in the Voss region of western Norway.

Notable individuals with the surname Brandal include:

1. Knut Brandal (1871-1945), a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting (Parliament) from 1904 to 1921.
2. Arne Brandal (1909-1986), a Norwegian writer and journalist known for his novels and short stories depicting rural life in Norway.
3. Kristin Brandal (born 1957), a Norwegian politician and member of the Storting from 1989 to 2001.
4. Jens Brandal (1863-1940), a Norwegian sculptor known for his works in wood and stone, depicting scenes from Norwegian folklore and rural life.
5. Ola Brandal (1888-1967), a Norwegian painter and illustrator whose works often depicted landscapes and scenes from rural Norway.

While the Brandal surname is most commonly associated with Norway, it has also been found in other Scandinavian countries, likely due to migration and intermarriage. The name's origins, however, can be traced back to its Norwegian roots and the historical practices of land clearing and burning in rural areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brandal

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

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 Brandal 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 Brandal 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 Brandal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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