2000
#3,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,355
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.84
Uncommon Last name
Brant
An English surname derived from the Old Norse word "brandr," meaning "sword" or "fire."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,061 Americans carry the last name Brant. That puts it at #3,598 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,988 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brant 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 Brant with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,988
Census rank
#3,598
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,646 bearers of the surname Brant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3598th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brant, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brant
The surname Brant originated in the Netherlands, particularly in the province of Gelderland. It is believed to have derived from the Old Dutch word "brant," which means "fire" or "burning." This surname likely referred to someone who lived near a burning area or was associated with a profession related to fire, such as a charcoal burner or a blacksmith.
The earliest recorded instances of the Brant surname date back to the 13th century in the Netherlands. In medieval times, the name was spelled in various ways, including Brant, Brandt, and Brand. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Hendrick Brant, a merchant from Arnhem, who was mentioned in historical records from the year 1275.
The Brant surname gained prominence in the 15th century with the birth of Sebastian Brant (1457-1521), a German humanist, satirist, and scholar. He is best known for his satirical work, "Das Narrenschiff" (The Ship of Fools), which was published in 1494 and became a significant work of the Renaissance era.
Another notable figure with the Brant surname was Joseph Brant (1742-1807), a Mohawk military leader who played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in the Mohawk village of Canajorharie, in what is now New York. Brant's Mohawk name was Thayendanegea, and he is remembered for his efforts to protect the interests of the Iroquois Confederacy during the conflict.
In the Netherlands, the Brant surname is closely associated with the city of Rotterdam. One of the most famous individuals with this surname from Rotterdam was Jacob Brant (1613-1677), a successful merchant and politician who served as the mayor of Rotterdam from 1661 to 1677.
Another notable bearer of the Brant surname was Hubert Adriaan Brant (1786-1845), a Dutch jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice in the Netherlands from 1837 to 1840. He played a significant role in the drafting of the Dutch Criminal Code of 1838.
Throughout history, the Brant surname has been carried by individuals from various professions and backgrounds, including artists, writers, politicians, and military leaders. While its origins can be traced back to the Netherlands, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brant
Among Census respondents with the surname Brant, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Brant 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 Brant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 8,053
- Black or African American6.8% · 660
- Two or more races4.3% · 412
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 292
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 167
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 62
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brant
Brant 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
#3,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,886
+531 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 3.69
Rank movement Down 121 places
2020
#3,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,646
-1,240 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 3.23
Rank movement Down 297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,180 | 10,355 | 3.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,301 | 10,886 | 3.69 | +531 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 121 places |
| 2020 | #3,598 | 9,646 | 3.23 | -1,240 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 297 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 Brant 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 | #3,301 | #3,598 | -9.0% |
| Count | 10,886 | 9,646 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 3.69 | 3.23 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brant bearers went from 10,886 to 9,646 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 297 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,301 to #3,598.
FAQ
Brant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brant?
Name Census estimates that about 11,061 living Americans carry the surname Brant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,988 residents.
How common is Brant?
Brant ranks #3,598 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,646 people with the surname Brant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,061), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Brant.
Has Brant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brant went from 10,886 recorded bearers to 9,646. That is a decrease of 1,240 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,301 to #3,598.
What does the Census say about the background of Brant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brant, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Brant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (8,053 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Black (6.8%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Brant (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 Brant mean?
An English surname derived from the Old Norse word "brandr," meaning "sword" or "fire." 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 Brant (3.23 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 Brant?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Brant at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.