Brass last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Brass

An English occupational surname for a worker who made or sold brass goods or brass instruments.

Brass, 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 Brass surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brass in America

Brass is the 11926th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brass surname appeared 2,625 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 Brass.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brass 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 11926 11578 2.96%
Count 2,625 2,489 5.32%
Proportion per 100k 0.89 0.92 -3.31%

The history of the last name Brass

The surname BRASS originates from England, with records indicating its presence as early as the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "braes," which means brass or bronze. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with these metals, either as a metalsmith or a maker of brass instruments.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BRASS can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I. The name appears in various spellings, such as "le Brasse," "le Bras," and "Brasse."

The BRASS surname is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which were tax records from the reign of King Edward III. These rolls list individuals with the surnames "le Brasse" and "Brasse" residing in counties like Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.

In the 16th century, the BRASS surname is found in parish records from various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire. One notable individual from this period was Robert BRASS, who was born in Nottinghamshire around 1540 and served as a member of the Parliament for Nottingham in 1597.

During the 17th century, the name BRASS appeared in several historical records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662-1666. These rolls recorded households that were required to pay a tax based on the number of hearths or fireplaces in their homes. The name BRASS can be found in counties like Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Staffordshire.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the BRASS surname was Thomas BRASS, who was born in Lincolnshire in 1720. He was a renowned engraver and clockmaker, known for his intricate work on clock dials and other metalwork.

Another significant figure with the BRASS surname was John BRASS, a political activist and writer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in Leicestershire in 1768 and was involved in the radical reform movements of his time, advocating for political and social changes.

Moving into the 19th century, one notable individual was William BRASS, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1812. He was a successful businessman and entrepreneur, founding the BRASS and Co. manufacturing company, which produced brass and copper goods.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname BRASS who have left their mark on history, showcasing the diversity and significance of this name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brass

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

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 Brass was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 73.60% 1,932
Non-Hispanic Black Only 20.08% 527
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.88% 23
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.30% 8
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.32% 61
Hispanic Origin 2.82% 74

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 73.60% 77.70% -5.42%
Black 20.08% 18.32% 9.17%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.88% 0.48% 58.82%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.30% 0.28% 6.90%
Two or More Races 2.32% 1.29% 57.06%
Hispanic 2.82% 1.93% 37.47%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Brass last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/brass-surname-popularity/.

"Brass last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/brass-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

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

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