Brashaw last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Brashaw

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood".

Brashaw, 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 Brashaw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brashaw in America

Brashaw is the 72771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brashaw surname appeared 267 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brashaw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brashaw 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 72771 80812 -10.47%
Count 267 218 20.21%
Proportion per 100k 0.09 0.08 11.76%

The history of the last name Brashaw

The surname Brashaw originated from England in the early medieval period, likely derived from a place name or topographic feature. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the surname Bradshaw, which is thought to have come from the Old English words "brad" and "sceaga," meaning "broad" and "small wood" or "thicket," respectively. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name lived in or near a broad wooded area.

Brashaw is an uncommon surname, and there are few early historical records documenting its origins and prevalence. However, the closely related Bradshaw name appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Bradshaw entries in this record indicate the presence of families with this surname in various counties, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Brashaw surname was John Brashaw, who was born around 1520 in Lancashire, England. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a magistrate during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable bearer of the Brashaw name was William Brashaw, born in 1585 in Cheshire. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his works on theology and philosophy. His most famous publication was a treatise titled "The Doctrine of the Trinity" published in 1642.

In the 17th century, Richard Brashaw, born in 1620 in Derbyshire, was a successful merchant and landowner. He played an influential role in the local affairs of his community and served as a member of the town council.

Elizabeth Brashaw, born in 1675 in Yorkshire, was a renowned poet and writer during the English Renaissance. Her collection of poems, titled "Verses on Various Occasions," was widely acclaimed and celebrated for its lyrical beauty and emotional depth.

Another prominent figure with the Brashaw surname was Sir Thomas Brashaw, born in 1725 in Lancashire. He was a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He rose to the rank of Brigadier General and played a crucial role in several key battles.

These are some of the notable individuals who carried the Brashaw surname throughout history, showcasing its presence and significance in various regions of England over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brashaw

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

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 Brashaw was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 89.51% 239
Non-Hispanic Black Only 6.74% 18
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 1.87% 5

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 Brashaw has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 89.51% 94.04% -4.94%
Black 6.74% 4.59% 37.95%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 1.87% 0.00% 200.00%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Brashaw last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 17, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/brashaw-surname-popularity/.

"Brashaw last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/brashaw-surname-popularity/. Accessed 17 July, 2025

Brashaw last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/brashaw-surname-popularity/.

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