2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brassea
A locational surname derived from a place name related to cabbage or similar vegetable crops.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Brassea. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brassea 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.
Bearers in the US
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Brassea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brassea, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brassea
The surname BRASSEA is of French origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "brasseur," which means "brewer." The name was likely given to someone who worked as a brewer or was associated with the brewing industry.
BRASSEA is thought to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas around Paris and Normandy. In the Middle Ages, these regions were known for their thriving brewing industry, and many people took on surnames related to their occupations.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name BRASSEA can be found in the Livre des Métiers, a medieval document from Paris that dates back to the 13th century. It lists several individuals with the surname BRASSEA, suggesting that the name was already well-established at that time.
In the 14th century, the name BRASSEA appeared in the Rolls of Parliament, a collection of records from the English parliament. This indicates that people with this surname had migrated from France to England during that period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname BRASSEA was Jean BRASSEA, who was born in 1312 in the village of Rouen, Normandy. He was a renowned brewer and is said to have introduced several innovative techniques in the brewing process.
Another notable figure was Philippe BRASSEA, born in 1427 in Paris. He was a member of the city's brewers' guild and played a significant role in establishing quality standards for the brewing industry in the region.
In the 16th century, the BRASSEA family gained prominence in the town of Beauvais, where they owned several breweries and taverns. One of their descendants, Jacques BRASSEA (1542-1618), was a respected citizen and served as a town councilor.
During the 17th century, a branch of the BRASSEA family migrated to the Netherlands, where they continued their brewing legacy. One of their descendants, Willem BRASSEA (1678-1745), established a successful brewery in Amsterdam, which remained in operation until the late 19th century.
In the 18th century, the BRASSEA surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Germany and Belgium, as families moved and settled in different regions. One notable figure from this period was Antoine BRASSEA (1712-1789), a Belgian brewer who introduced innovative techniques for malting and fermentation.
Throughout its history, the BRASSEA surname has been associated with the brewing industry, and many individuals with this name have made significant contributions to the craft of beer-making across various regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brassea
Among Census respondents with the surname Brassea, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Brassea 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 Brassea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.1% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino36.0% · 41
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brassea
Brassea appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,957 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Up 3,957 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 Brassea 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 | #150,452 | #146,495 | 2.6% |
| Count | 109 | 114 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brassea bearers went from 109 to 114 (+4.6% change). The surname moved up 3,957 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #146,495.
FAQ
Brassea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brassea?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Brassea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Brassea?
Brassea ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Brassea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Brassea.
Has Brassea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brassea went from 109 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 5 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Brassea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brassea, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (36.0%) 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 Brassea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.1% (64 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brassea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.1%), Hispanic (36.0%), 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 Brassea (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 Brassea mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name related to cabbage or similar vegetable crops. 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 Brassea (0.04 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 common is the surname Brassea?
You can see how many people are called Brassea on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.