2000
#50,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 385
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Brando
Italian surname referring to a burning torch or fire brand.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 583 Americans carry the last name Brando. That puts it at #45,381 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 587,915 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brando 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
583
1 in 587,915
Census rank
#45,381
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
508
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 508 bearers of the surname Brando in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45381st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brando, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.7%) and Black (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brando
The surname Brando traces its origins to Italy, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Italian word "brando," which means "sword" or "blazing fire." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to a skilled swordsman or a blacksmith who worked with fire.
In the early days, the name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, particularly in the cities of Florence and Perugia. Historical records from these areas mention various individuals with the surname Brando, indicating its presence and use during the medieval period.
One of the earliest known references to the name Brando can be found in the Florentine Priors' records from the 13th century, which list a certain Bindo Brando as a prominent citizen of the city. This document provides valuable insight into the name's antiquity and its connection to the influential families of the time.
The Brando surname has also been linked to several place names in Italy, such as Brando Montelupo, a small town located near Florence. It is possible that the surname originated from this location or that some families adopted the place name as their surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Brando. One of the most famous was Marlon Brando (1924-2004), the acclaimed American actor renowned for his performances in films like "The Godfather" and "A Streetcar Named Desire." Despite his Italian surname, Brando's ancestors were of mixed French, Dutch, and English descent.
Another prominent figure with the surname Brando was Giovanni Brando (1573-1638), an Italian painter and architect from Perugia. He was known for his work on various churches and palaces in his native city, leaving a lasting architectural legacy.
In the literary world, Orazio Brando (1701-1765) was an Italian poet and playwright from Siena. His works, including comedies and tragedies, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and contributed to the cultural landscape of 18th-century Italy.
The surname Brando also has ties to the military, with General Raffaele Brando (1829-1900) being a distinguished Italian soldier who fought in the Wars of Italian Unification and later served as a senator in the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.
Lastly, Renato Brando (1886-1977) was an Italian artist and sculptor known for his works in bronze and marble. His sculptures can be found in various public spaces and museums across Italy, showcasing the artistic talents associated with this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brando
Among Census respondents with the surname Brando, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.7%) and Black (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Brando 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 Brando surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.3% · 342
- Hispanic or Latino16.7% · 85
- Black or African American6.9% · 35
- Two or more races6.1% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brando
Brando 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
#53,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 383
-2 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 3,010 places
2020
#45,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 508
+125 bearers (+32.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 8,532 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,903 | 385 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,913 | 383 | 0.13 | -2 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 3,010 places |
| 2020 | #45,381 | 508 | 0.17 | +125 bearers (+32.6%) | Up 8,532 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 Brando 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 | #53,913 | #45,381 | 15.8% |
| Count | 383 | 508 | 32.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.17 | 30.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brando bearers went from 383 to 508 (+32.6% change). The surname moved up 8,532 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,913 to #45,381.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Brando
FAQ
Brando surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brando?
Name Census estimates that about 583 living Americans carry the surname Brando. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 587,915 residents.
How common is Brando?
Brando ranks #45,381 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 508 people with the surname Brando. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (583), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Brando.
Has Brando become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brando went from 383 recorded bearers to 508. That is an increase of 125 (+32.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,913 to #45,381.
What does the Census say about the background of Brando?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brando, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.7%) and Black (6.9%). 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 Brando in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.3% (342 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brando appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.3%), Hispanic (16.7%), Black (6.9%). 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 Brando (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 Brando mean?
Italian surname referring to a burning torch or fire brand. 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 Brando (0.17 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 Americans have the surname Brando?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.