2000
#16,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Brar
A Jat surname of Punjabi origin, likely derived from the word "bara," meaning big or elder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,555 Americans carry the last name Brar. That puts it at #8,001 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,248 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brar 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 Brar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 75,248
Census rank
#8,001
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,972 bearers of the surname Brar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8001st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brar
The surname BRAR originated in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Punjab region. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Brahma," which refers to the Hindu creator deity. The name is associated with the Brahmin caste, which consisted of priests and scholars in ancient Indian society.
The earliest recorded instances of the BRAR surname can be traced back to the 16th century in various historical records and manuscripts from the Mughal Empire. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Barar" or "Baraar," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and transliteration.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the BRAR surname was Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606), the fifth guru of the Sikh religion. He is revered for compiling the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, and for his contributions to the development of the faith.
Another prominent figure in history bearing the BRAR name was Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century. He was known for his military prowess and his efforts in unifying the Punjab region under his rule.
In the literary realm, Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957) was a renowned Sikh writer and scholar who made significant contributions to the revival of the Punjabi language and literature. His works, such as the epic poem "Rana Surat Singh," continue to be widely studied and appreciated.
The BRAR surname has also been associated with various place names in the Punjab region, such as Brar Khurd and Brar Kalan, which were historically inhabited by individuals bearing this name.
It is worth noting that the BRAR surname has been carried by many distinguished individuals across various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts, both in India and in the global Punjabi diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brar
Among Census respondents with the surname Brar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Brar 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 Brar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.8% · 3,688
- White3.1% · 122
- Two or more races2.2% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 56
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brar
Brar 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
#12,476
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,488
+935 bearers (+60.2%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Up 4,430 places
2020
#8,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,972
+1,484 bearers (+59.6%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 4,475 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,906 | 1,553 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,476 | 2,488 | 0.84 | +935 bearers (+60.2%) | Up 4,430 places |
| 2020 | #8,001 | 3,972 | 1.33 | +1,484 bearers (+59.6%) | Up 4,475 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 Brar 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 | #12,476 | #8,001 | 35.9% |
| Count | 2,488 | 3,972 | 59.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 1.33 | 58.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brar bearers went from 2,488 to 3,972 (+59.6% change). The surname moved up 4,475 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,476 to #8,001.
FAQ
Brar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brar?
Name Census estimates that about 4,555 living Americans carry the surname Brar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,248 residents.
How common is Brar?
Brar ranks #8,001 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,972 people with the surname Brar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,555), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Brar.
Has Brar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brar went from 2,488 recorded bearers to 3,972. That is an increase of 1,484 (+59.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,476 to #8,001.
What does the Census say about the background of Brar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Brar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (3,688 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.8%), White (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Brar (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 Brar mean?
A Jat surname of Punjabi origin, likely derived from the word "bara," meaning big or elder. 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 Brar (1.33 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 people are called Brar?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Brar is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.