2000
#10,674
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,750
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Branton
Derived from a place name meaning "broom town" or "bramble enclosure" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,893 Americans carry the last name Branton. That puts it at #11,865 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,477 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Branton 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 Branton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,477
Census rank
#11,865
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,523 bearers of the surname Branton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11865th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Branton, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Branton
The surname BRANTON is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bran" and "tun," which together mean "the town by the burnt place" or "the settlement near the burnt clearing."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BRANTON surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and property conducted in 1086 under the reign of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Brantan in the county of Lincolnshire.
During the 13th century, variations of the name, such as Brantone and Brantun, appeared in various records and manuscripts across different regions of England. This suggests that the surname was relatively well-established by that time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the BRANTON surname was Sir John Branton, a prominent landowner and knight who served under King Edward III. He participated in several military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War against France.
The BRANTON surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Branton Green in Staffordshire and Branton Village in Northumberland. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the BRANTON surname who settled or held influential positions in those areas.
Another prominent individual with the BRANTON surname was Thomas Branton (1570-1641), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He was known for his religious writings and sermons during the early 17th century.
In the 18th century, William Branton (1719-1784) was a respected architect and surveyor who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in London, including the Foundling Hospital and Somerset House.
During the 19th century, John Branton (1810-1876) was a successful businessman and industrialist who established several textile mills in Lancashire, England. His entrepreneurial endeavors played a significant role in the region's economic growth during the Industrial Revolution.
The BRANTON surname has continued to be represented throughout history by individuals from various professions and backgrounds, contributing to the rich tapestry of English culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Branton
Among Census respondents with the surname Branton, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Branton 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 Branton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.3% · 2,026
- Black or African American12.2% · 308
- Two or more races3.8% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Branton
Branton 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
#11,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,807
+57 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 590 places
2020
#11,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,523
-284 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 601 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,674 | 2,750 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,264 | 2,807 | 0.95 | +57 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 590 places |
| 2020 | #11,865 | 2,523 | 0.84 | -284 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 601 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 Branton 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 | #11,264 | #11,865 | -5.3% |
| Count | 2,807 | 2,523 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.95 | 0.84 | -11.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Branton bearers went from 2,807 to 2,523 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 601 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,264 to #11,865.
FAQ
Branton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Branton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,893 living Americans carry the surname Branton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,477 residents.
How common is Branton?
Branton ranks #11,865 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 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 2,523 people with the surname Branton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,893), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 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 Branton.
Has Branton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Branton went from 2,807 recorded bearers to 2,523. That is a decrease of 284 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,264 to #11,865.
What does the Census say about the background of Branton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Branton, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Branton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (2,026 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Branton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.3%), Black (12.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Branton (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 Branton mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "broom town" or "bramble enclosure" in Old English. 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 Branton (0.84 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 Branton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.