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

Brandy, 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 Brandy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brandy in America

Brandy is the 20627th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brandy surname appeared 1,284 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 Brandy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brandy 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 Brandy

The surname Brandy is believed to have originated in England and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old French word "brande," which means "burning wood" or "firebrand." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a burning or charred area, or perhaps someone who worked with fire or charcoal.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brandy can be found in the parish records of St. Peter's Church in Sandwich, Kent, where a certain William Brandy was mentioned in 1593. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1665, which listed households that were required to pay a tax based on the number of hearths or fireplaces they had.

In the 17th century, the Brandy surname was concentrated in the counties of Kent, Essex, and Suffolk in southeastern England. It is possible that the name may have originated from a place name, as there are several locations in these counties with names similar to "Brandy," such as Brandes, Brandeston, and Brandish.

One notable individual with the surname Brandy was Sir John Brandy (c. 1590-1659), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Sandwich during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent Brandy was Thomas Brandy (1633-1677), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Suffolk from 1667 until his death.

In the 18th century, the Brandy surname spread to other parts of England, as well as to Scotland and Ireland. One significant figure from this period was John Brandy (1743-1809), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Old College and the Canongate Tolbooth.

Another individual of note was Mary Brandy (1765-1845), an Irish writer and poet who published several collections of poems and plays during her lifetime. She is considered one of the earliest female writers to gain recognition in Ireland.

As the centuries progressed, the Brandy surname continued to spread throughout the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by emigrants and settlers. While the name may have evolved from different origins or meanings in different regions, its roots can be traced back to the Old French word "brande" and its association with fire or burning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brandy

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

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

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

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