2000
#7,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,950
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Brannen
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Braonáin," meaning "descendant of Braonán," a personal name meaning "sorrow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,405 Americans carry the last name Brannen. That puts it at #8,263 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brannen 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 Brannen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,810
Census rank
#8,263
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,841 bearers of the surname Brannen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8263rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brannen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brannen
Among Census respondents with the surname Brannen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Brannen 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 Brannen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 3,415
- Black or African American3.7% · 144
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 129
- Two or more races2.8% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brannen
Brannen 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
#8,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,101
+151 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 329 places
2020
#8,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,841
-260 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,755 | 3,950 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,084 | 4,101 | 1.39 | +151 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 329 places |
| 2020 | #8,263 | 3,841 | 1.29 | -260 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 179 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 Brannen 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 | #8,084 | #8,263 | -2.2% |
| Count | 4,101 | 3,841 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.29 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brannen bearers went from 4,101 to 3,841 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,084 to #8,263.
FAQ
Brannen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brannen?
Name Census estimates that about 4,405 living Americans carry the surname Brannen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,810 residents.
How common is Brannen?
Brannen ranks #8,263 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,841 people with the surname Brannen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,405), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Brannen.
Has Brannen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brannen went from 4,101 recorded bearers to 3,841. That is a decrease of 260 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,084 to #8,263.
What does the Census say about the background of Brannen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brannen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Brannen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (3,415 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brannen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Black (3.7%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Brannen (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 Brannen mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Braonáin," meaning "descendant of Braonán," a personal name meaning "sorrow." 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 Brannen (1.29 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 many Americans have the surname Brannen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.