2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Branks
A surname derived from an old Scottish word meaning a kind of iron muzzle or bridle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Branks. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Branks 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Branks in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Branks, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Branks
The surname "BRANKS" is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 16th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "branc," which means a branch or bough, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived near a prominent tree branch or a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "BRANKS" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1379, which mentions a "Willelmus Branks." This suggests that the name was already established in the northern regions of England by the late 14th century.
In the 15th century, the surname appears in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1428, which lists a "Robertus Branks." This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of England by this time.
The Branks family is believed to have originated from the village of Brank, located in the parish of Brancepeth, County Durham. This place name is derived from the Old English words "branc" and "peth," meaning a branch or bough path, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its geographical roots.
Notable individuals with the surname "BRANKS" throughout history include:
1. John Branks (c. 1570-1644), an English clergyman and author who served as the Dean of Worcester from 1633 until his death.
2. William Branks (1776-1854), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Military General Service Medal for his service.
3. Elizabeth Branks (1820-1892), a British author and poet who published several collections of poetry and prose during the Victorian era.
4. Thomas Branks (1867-1941), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1908 to 1919.
5. Margaret Branks (1892-1976), an American artist known for her landscape paintings and portraits, many of which are housed in notable galleries and museums across the United States.
While the surname "BRANKS" is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period and is deeply rooted in the geographical and linguistic traditions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Branks
Among Census respondents with the surname Branks, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Branks 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 Branks surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 96
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Branks
Branks 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,426 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-20 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,729 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 10,426 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 18,729 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 Branks 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 | #132,206 | #150,935 | -14.2% |
| Count | 128 | 108 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Branks bearers went from 128 to 108 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 18,729 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #150,935.
FAQ
Branks surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Branks?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Branks. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Branks?
Branks ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Branks. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Branks.
Has Branks become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Branks went from 128 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Branks?
Among Census respondents with the surname Branks, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Branks in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Branks appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Branks (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 Branks mean?
A surname derived from an old Scottish word meaning a kind of iron muzzle or bridle. 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 Branks (0.04 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 Branks?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Branks on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.