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

Branum, 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 Branum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Branum in America

Branum is the 11047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Branum surname appeared 2,878 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Branum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Branum 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 Branum

The surname Branum originated in England, likely in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "brom" and "hām," which together translate to "homestead at the broom." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have lived near an area overgrown with broom shrubs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Branum can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a Robert de Bromham is mentioned. This spelling variation, Bromham, further reinforces the connection to the Old English word "brom."

In the 14th century, the Branum surname appeared in various manorial records across southern England, particularly in the counties of Wiltshire, Dorset, and Somerset. Notably, a John Branam is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not include any direct references to the Branum surname. However, it does mention several place names like Bromham, Brampton, and Bromley, which share the same Old English root as the surname.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Branum surname. One of the earliest was William Branum, a wool merchant from Salisbury, Wiltshire, who lived in the late 15th century (born circa 1460). Another was John Branum, a prominent landowner in Dorset, who was born in 1587.

In the 18th century, Edward Branum (1712-1786) was a respected lawyer and judge in London. His son, Thomas Branum (1745-1819), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent barrister.

The 19th century saw the rise of Henry Branum (1832-1901), a successful industrialist from Birmingham, who made his fortune in the manufacturing of railway equipment.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the Branum surname was the English writer and poet, Evelyn Branum (1901-1976). Her works, which explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, were widely acclaimed and earned her numerous literary awards during her lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Branum

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

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

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

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