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

Braswell, 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 Braswell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Braswell in America

Braswell is the 2605th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Braswell surname appeared 13,838 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Braswell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Braswell 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.

The history of the last name Braswell

The surname Braswell is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "braes" meaning "bank" or "hillside" and "well" meaning "spring" or "stream". This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a hillside spring or stream.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Braswell appear in various medieval records and documents from the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset in the southwest of England. Some of the earliest spellings include Brasswell, Brassewell, and Brassewelle, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Braswell, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1275. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, which lists a Thomas Braswell as a taxpayer.

The Braswell name has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir Edward Braswell (c. 1515-1585), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Braswells played a significant role in the English Civil War. Captain Thomas Braswell (1620-1678) was a Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I against the Parliamentarian forces. His cousin, Richard Braswell (1628-1702), was a staunch Parliamentarian and served as a colonel in Oliver Cromwell's army.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John Braswell (1670-1735), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable foundations and schools in the city during his lifetime.

The Braswell name has also been found in various place names throughout England, such as Braswell Hill in Gloucestershire and Braswell Farm in Somerset, further reinforcing its historical connections to the region.

While the name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to North America, where many Braswells emigrated during the colonial era and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Braswell

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

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 Braswell was:

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

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

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

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