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

Braniff, 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 Braniff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Braniff in America

Braniff is the 36154th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Braniff surname appeared 620 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 Braniff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Braniff 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 Braniff

The surname Braniff is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "bran" or "brom," meaning bramble or broom, and the suffix "-ingas," indicating a group or family. This suggests that the name may have referred to people who lived near a bramble patch or broom field.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bramingis." This entry suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century in England.

As the name spread throughout the region, it evolved into various spellings, such as Bramynge, Brammynge, and Brannynge, before eventually settling into the modern spelling of Braniff.

In the 13th century, records mention a Richard de Bramynge, who held lands in Lancashire. This provides evidence of the name's association with landowners and the gentry during that time period.

Another notable figure bearing the Braniff name was William Braniff, a merchant and philanthropist from Belfast, Ireland, who lived from 1785 to 1857. He made significant contributions to the economic development of his city and funded the construction of several public buildings.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Thomas Braniff, who was born in 1783 in County Down, Ireland, and later immigrated to Pennsylvania. His descendants went on to establish the Braniff Airlines, which operated from 1930 to 1982.

Other notable individuals with the Braniff surname include:

1. Paul Braniff (1886-1954), an American businessman and founder of Braniff Airways.
2. Thomas Braniff (1910-1967), an American businessman and president of Braniff Airways.
3. Mary Braniff (1901-1979), an American socialite and philanthropist, known for her support of the arts and education.
4. William Braniff (1820-1892), an Irish-born American businessman and real estate developer in San Francisco.
5. John Braniff (1865-1941), an Irish-born American lawyer and judge in New York.

While the Braniff surname has its roots in England, it has spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have contributed to diverse fields, from business and aviation to law and philanthropy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Braniff

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

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

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

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