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

Brannen, 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 Brannen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brannen in America

Brannen is the 8084th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brannen surname appeared 4,101 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Brannen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brannen 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 Brannen

The surname Brannen has its origins in Scotland and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "bran" meaning "raven" or "crow," suggesting a connection to a dark-haired or swarthy individual. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Brannane, found in the parish records of Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1592.

One of the earliest documented references to the Brannen surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as Brannan, with various individuals from different parts of Scotland listed, indicating the widespread distribution of the surname across the country.

The Brannen family is believed to have played a role in the Scottish Wars of Independence, with some members fighting alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce against English rule. In the 15th century, a notable figure named John Brannen (1410-1478) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Glasgow.

During the 17th century, the Brannens were well-established in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. One notable individual from this period was James Brannen (1620-1699), a Presbyterian minister who was persecuted for his religious beliefs during the reign of King Charles II.

As the Brannen family spread across Scotland and beyond, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Brannon, Brannin, and Brannan. In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Sir David Brannen (1735-1812), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Glasgow.

Other notable individuals with the Brannen surname include:

1. Thomas Brannen (1788-1859), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and settler who played a key role in the colonization of New South Wales.
2. John Brannen (1819-1892), a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota.
3. Margaret Brannen (1883-1972), a Scottish educator and suffragette who campaigned for women's rights and educational reform.
4. Robert Brannen (1904-1989), a Canadian politician and farmer who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
5. Michael Brannen (born 1953), an American artist and sculptor known for his large-scale public artworks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brannen

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

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

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

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