2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Brandlin
A surname derived from a geographical place name containing the German word "Brand," meaning "burned land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Brandlin. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brandlin 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Brandlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brandlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brandlin
The surname BRANDLIN originated in Germany, likely emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "brand," meaning "fire" or "burning," and the suffix "-lin," which was a common diminutive form used to indicate a smaller or lesser version of something. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a burnt or charred area, perhaps a blacksmith or someone who worked with fire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BRANDLIN name dates back to the 15th century in the town of Nuremberg, where a family by the name of Brandlin is mentioned in local records. These early references often used variations in spelling, such as "Brandlein" or "Brandlen," reflecting the fluid nature of surnames during that time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the BRANDLIN surname was Hans Brandlin, a German engraver and printmaker active in Nuremberg between 1520 and 1550. His works, which included woodcuts and engravings, were highly regarded and helped establish the reputation of the Nuremberg school of printmaking.
Another historical reference to the BRANDLIN name can be found in the writings of the German philologist and historian Johann Christoph Adelung, who lived from 1732 to 1806. In his work on German surnames, Adelung mentioned the BRANDLIN name as being derived from the word "brand" and associated with professions related to fire or burning.
During the 18th century, a prominent individual with the BRANDLIN surname was Johann Brandlin, a German theologian and author born in Nuremberg in 1720. He wrote several works on religious topics and served as a pastor in various communities throughout his life.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Brandlin, a German artist and painter born in Cologne in 1853. He was known for his landscapes and scenes depicting rural life in Germany, and his works were exhibited in several major European cities during the late 19th century.
Throughout history, the BRANDLIN surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brandlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Brandlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Brandlin 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 Brandlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brandlin
Brandlin appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 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 Brandlin 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 | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brandlin bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Brandlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brandlin?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Brandlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Brandlin?
Brandlin ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Brandlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Brandlin.
Has Brandlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brandlin went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Brandlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brandlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Brandlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brandlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Brandlin (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 Brandlin mean?
A surname derived from a geographical place name containing the German word "Brand," meaning "burned land." 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 Brandlin (0.03 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 share the surname Brandlin?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.