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

Brantley, 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 Brantley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brantley in America

Brantley is the 1684th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brantley surname appeared 21,395 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Brantley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brantley 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 Brantley

The surname Brantley originates from England, with its roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English words "brant" meaning "steep" or "high" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a steep clearing or meadow.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their estates in England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Brantlei," which was likely a reference to a place name rather than a personal name.

During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spellings, including Brantleigh, Brantley, and Brantlie. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Brantley was John Brantley, born around 1350 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Brantley, which may have been named after his family.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname was Sir William Brantley (1520-1589), a prominent English politician and member of Parliament. He served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire and played a significant role in the political affairs of the time.

Another notable individual was Richard Brantley (1670-1745), an English explorer and navigator. He is known for his voyages to the West Indies and his contributions to the mapping and charting of the Caribbean region.

In the 18th century, Thomas Brantley (1718-1780) was a renowned English inventor and engineer. He is credited with developing various innovations in the textile industry, including improvements to the spinning jenny and the water frame.

During the 19th century, Mary Brantley (1845-1918) was a prominent educator and social reformer in the United States. She founded several schools for underprivileged children and advocated for improved educational opportunities for women and minorities.

The surname Brantley has been present throughout history, with various individuals bearing the name making significant contributions in fields such as politics, exploration, engineering, and education. While the name has undergone several spelling variations, its origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era in England, reflecting the geographic and linguistic influences of that time period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brantley

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!