2000
#1,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,953
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.40
Uncommon Last name
Brantley
From an English place name meaning "burnt clearing," referring to a clearing made by burning vegetation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 23,390 Americans carry the last name Brantley. That puts it at #1,719 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,654 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brantley 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
23K
1 in 14,654
Census rank
#1,719
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 20,397 bearers of the surname Brantley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1719th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brantley, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (34.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brantley
Among Census respondents with the surname Brantley, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (34.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Brantley 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 Brantley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.9% · 11,615
- Black or African American34.1% · 6,961
- Two or more races4.7% · 965
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 639
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 117
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 100
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brantley
Brantley 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
#1,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,395
+1,442 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 7.25
Rank movement Down 38 places
2020
#1,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,397
-998 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 6.82
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,646 | 19,953 | 7.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,684 | 21,395 | 7.25 | +1,442 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 38 places |
| 2020 | #1,719 | 20,397 | 6.82 | -998 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 35 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 Brantley 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 | #1,684 | #1,719 | -2.1% |
| Count | 21,395 | 20,397 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.25 | 6.82 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brantley bearers went from 21,395 to 20,397 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,684 to #1,719.
FAQ
Brantley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brantley?
Name Census estimates that about 23,390 living Americans carry the surname Brantley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,654 residents.
How common is Brantley?
Brantley ranks #1,719 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 20,397 people with the surname Brantley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (23,390), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Brantley.
Has Brantley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brantley went from 21,395 recorded bearers to 20,397. That is a decrease of 998 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,684 to #1,719.
What does the Census say about the background of Brantley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brantley, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.9%. The next largest groups are Black (34.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Brantley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.9% (11,615 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brantley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.9%), Black (34.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Brantley (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 Brantley mean?
From an English place name meaning "burnt clearing," referring to a clearing made by burning vegetation. 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 Brantley (6.82 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 Brantley?
See how many people have the last name Brantley on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.