2000
#11,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,463
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Branscum
Derived from a place name meaning "Bran's valley" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,737 Americans carry the last name Branscum. That puts it at #12,416 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 125,230 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Branscum 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
2.7K
1 in 125,230
Census rank
#12,416
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,387 bearers of the surname Branscum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12416th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Branscum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Branscum
The surname Branscum has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bran," meaning "burn" or "brook," and "cumb," meaning "valley." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone residing near a valley with a stream or small river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a place called Branscome in Somerset. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence and its association with a specific location during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Branscombe and Branscom, reflecting the evolving spellings common during that era. A notable figure from this time period was Sir John Branscum, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the French in the 1340s.
During the 16th century, the name was found in records from the county of Devon, where the village of Branscombe is located. This area is believed to be the ancestral homeland of many bearers of the Branscum surname.
One of the most prominent individuals with this name was Robert Branscum, born in 1542 in Branscombe, Devon. He was a respected landowner and served as a magistrate in the local community.
In the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of England, including London. A notable figure from this period was William Branscum, born in 1612 in Southwark, London. He was a successful merchant and played a role in the expansion of trade between England and the American colonies.
The 18th century saw the Branscum name cross the Atlantic Ocean, with bearers of the name settling in various parts of the American colonies. One such individual was Thomas Branscum, born in 1738 in Virginia. He served as a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Another noteworthy figure was Elizabeth Branscum, born in 1782 in Maryland. She was a pioneer who migrated westward with her family, eventually settling in Indiana, where she became a respected member of the local community.
Throughout its history, the Branscum surname has maintained its connection to its English roots, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to the counties of Somerset, Devon, and surrounding areas. While the spelling may have varied over time, the name's essence has endured, representing a rich heritage spanning centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Branscum
Among Census respondents with the surname Branscum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Branscum 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 Branscum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 2,142
- Two or more races4.0% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 48
- Black or African American0.8% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Branscum
Branscum 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
#12,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,588
+125 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 377 places
2020
#12,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,387
-201 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 368 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,671 | 2,463 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,048 | 2,588 | 0.88 | +125 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 377 places |
| 2020 | #12,416 | 2,387 | 0.80 | -201 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 368 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 Branscum 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 | #12,048 | #12,416 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,588 | 2,387 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.80 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Branscum bearers went from 2,588 to 2,387 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 368 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,048 to #12,416.
FAQ
Branscum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Branscum?
Name Census estimates that about 2,737 living Americans carry the surname Branscum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 125,230 residents.
How common is Branscum?
Branscum ranks #12,416 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,387 people with the surname Branscum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Branscum.
Has Branscum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Branscum went from 2,588 recorded bearers to 2,387. That is a decrease of 201 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,048 to #12,416.
What does the Census say about the background of Branscum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Branscum, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Branscum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (2,142 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Branscum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Branscum (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 Branscum mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Bran's valley" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there. 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 Branscum (0.80 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 Branscum?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Branscum, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.