2000
#2,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,550
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.02
Uncommon Last name
Branham
An English habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Branham, likely meaning "broom homestead."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,027 Americans carry the last name Branham. That puts it at #2,683 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,809 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Branham 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Branham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,809
Census rank
#2,683
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,104 bearers of the surname Branham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2683rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Branham, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Branham
The surname Branham has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bran" and "ham," which together mean "homestead by the burnt clearing." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived in or near a settlement established on land that had been cleared by burning.
The earliest known record of the name Branham can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry refers to a place called "Bradenham" in Norfolk, which is likely the source of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Branham was William de Bradenham, who lived in Essex, England, in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir John Branham, a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in the early 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Branham underwent various spelling variations, such as Brannam, Brannham, and Brenham. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of record-keeping at the time.
In the 18th century, a prominent individual named John Branham (1677-1754) was a prominent Quaker leader and writer in Pennsylvania, United States. He authored several religious works and played a significant role in the development of the Quaker community in the region.
Another notable figure was William Branham (1909-1965), an American Christian minister and influential figure in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. He was known for his claims of divine healing and prophetic visions, and his teachings had a significant impact on various religious movements.
Throughout history, the surname Branham has also been associated with various places and localities. For instance, Branham Park in San Jose, California, and Branham High School in the same city were named after William Branham, a local landowner and farmer in the 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Branham
Among Census respondents with the surname Branham, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Branham 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 Branham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 11,003
- Black or African American7.6% · 1,000
- Two or more races4.5% · 588
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 309
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 143
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Branham
Branham 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
#2,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,872
+322 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 4.70
Rank movement Down 153 places
2020
#2,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,104
-768 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 4.38
Rank movement Down 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,446 | 13,550 | 5.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,599 | 13,872 | 4.70 | +322 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 153 places |
| 2020 | #2,683 | 13,104 | 4.38 | -768 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 84 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 Branham 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 | #2,599 | #2,683 | -3.2% |
| Count | 13,872 | 13,104 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 4.70 | 4.38 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Branham bearers went from 13,872 to 13,104 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,599 to #2,683.
FAQ
Branham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Branham?
Name Census estimates that about 15,027 living Americans carry the surname Branham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,809 residents.
How common is Branham?
Branham ranks #2,683 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,104 people with the surname Branham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Branham.
Has Branham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Branham went from 13,872 recorded bearers to 13,104. That is a decrease of 768 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,599 to #2,683.
What does the Census say about the background of Branham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Branham, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Branham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (11,003 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Branham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Black (7.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Branham (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 Branham mean?
An English habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Branham, likely meaning "broom homestead." 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 Branham (4.38 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 common is the surname Branham?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Branham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.