2000
#25,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 893
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Brasier
A surname possibly derived from "brasier" meaning a brazier or pan for burning coal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,008 Americans carry the last name Brasier. That puts it at #28,796 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 340,034 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brasier 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 Brasier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.0K
1 in 340,034
Census rank
#28,796
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
879
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 879 bearers of the surname Brasier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28796th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brasier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brasier
The surname Brasier originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "brasier," which means "brazier" or "portable fire pan." The name likely referred to an occupation or trade related to metalworking or blacksmithing.
The earliest known recorded instances of the Brasier surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region. It was initially spelled as "Brasier," "Brasyer," or "Brassier."
One of the earliest notable individuals with this surname was Jean Brasier, a Norman nobleman who lived in the late 13th century. He was mentioned in several historical records as a prominent landowner and military commander during the conflicts between France and England.
In the 14th century, the Brasier name appeared in the records of the Duchy of Burgundy, where it was associated with skilled metalworkers and armorers. A notable figure from this period was Philippe Brasier, a renowned armorer who worked for the Dukes of Burgundy in the city of Dijon during the 1370s.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Brasier surname spread across various regions of France, including the Île-de-France, Champagne, and Lorraine. In the 16th century, a family of Brasiers settled in the town of Troyes, where they became prominent merchants and local officials.
One of the most notable individuals with the Brasier surname was Jacques Brasier, a French poet and philosopher born in Troyes in 1567. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time and published several works on philosophy and poetry.
In the 17th century, the Brasier name appeared in various records in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, where it was associated with skilled craftsmen and tradesmen. One notable figure from this period was Pierre Brasier, a renowned clockmaker from Rouen, who lived from 1625 to 1698.
As the surname spread across France, it also found its way to other parts of Europe, particularly in regions with close cultural and historical ties to France, such as Belgium and Switzerland. Over time, the name has been subjected to various spellings and variations, including Brasier, Brassier, Brassière, and Brasseur.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brasier
Among Census respondents with the surname Brasier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Brasier 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 Brasier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 741
- Black or African American7.7% · 68
- Two or more races4.4% · 39
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brasier
Brasier 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
#30,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 751
-142 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 5,081 places
2020
#28,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 879
+128 bearers (+17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 2,150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,865 | 893 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,946 | 751 | 0.25 | -142 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 5,081 places |
| 2020 | #28,796 | 879 | 0.29 | +128 bearers (+17.0%) | Up 2,150 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 Brasier 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 | #30,946 | #28,796 | 6.9% |
| Count | 751 | 879 | 17.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.29 | 17.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brasier bearers went from 751 to 879 (+17.0% change). The surname moved up 2,150 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,946 to #28,796.
FAQ
Brasier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brasier?
Name Census estimates that about 1,008 living Americans carry the surname Brasier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 340,034 residents.
How common is Brasier?
Brasier ranks #28,796 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 879 people with the surname Brasier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,008), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Brasier.
Has Brasier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brasier went from 751 recorded bearers to 879. That is an increase of 128 (+17.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #30,946 to #28,796.
What does the Census say about the background of Brasier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brasier, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Brasier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (741 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brasier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Black (7.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Brasier (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 Brasier mean?
A surname possibly derived from "brasier" meaning a brazier or pan for burning coal. 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 Brasier (0.29 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 share the surname Brasier?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.