2000
#10,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,812
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Brathwaite
A locational surname referring to a place in Yorkshire, England, derived from Old Norse words meaning "broad clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,973 Americans carry the last name Brathwaite. That puts it at #9,053 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,271 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brathwaite 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 Brathwaite with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,271
Census rank
#9,053
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,465 bearers of the surname Brathwaite in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9053rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brathwaite, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brathwaite
The surname Brathwaite is of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "broad clearing in a wood." It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where there are several places with similar names, such as Bradwaite and Braithwaite.
The earliest recorded use of the name Brathwaite dates back to the 13th century, with references found in medieval records and manuscripts. One notable entry is in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which mentions a certain Robert de Braythwayt.
During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Braythwayte, Braithwaite, Braythwait, and Brathwait. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred over time.
In the 16th century, the Brathwaite family gained prominence in the North of England. One notable figure was Richard Brathwait (1588-1673), an English poet and writer who published several works, including "The English Gentleman" and "The Honest Ghost."
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Thomas Whythorne Brathwaite (1588-1644), an English composer and musician who served as a court musician to King James I and King Charles I.
In the 17th century, the Brathwaites were well-established landowners in Yorkshire, with several branches of the family holding estates in the region. One notable member was Sir Thomas Brathwaite (1609-1693), a baronet and Member of Parliament for Northallerton.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Brathwaite name continued to be associated with Yorkshire gentry and landed families. One notable individual was Reverend Richard Brathwaite (1765-1841), a clergyman and poet who wrote several works on religious and moral themes.
Throughout its history, the surname Brathwaite has also been linked to various place names in Yorkshire, such as Braithwaite Hall, Braithwaite Village, and Braithwaite Beck, reflecting the geographical origins of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brathwaite
Among Census respondents with the surname Brathwaite, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Brathwaite 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 Brathwaite surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.6% · 2,794
- Hispanic or Latino10.2% · 354
- Two or more races5.2% · 180
- White3.3% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brathwaite
Brathwaite 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
#9,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,429
+617 bearers (+21.9%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 987 places
2020
#9,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,465
+36 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,473 | 2,812 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,486 | 3,429 | 1.16 | +617 bearers (+21.9%) | Up 987 places |
| 2020 | #9,053 | 3,465 | 1.16 | +36 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 433 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 Brathwaite 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 | #9,486 | #9,053 | 4.6% |
| Count | 3,429 | 3,465 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.16 | -0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brathwaite bearers went from 3,429 to 3,465 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 433 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,486 to #9,053.
FAQ
Brathwaite surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brathwaite?
Name Census estimates that about 3,973 living Americans carry the surname Brathwaite. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,271 residents.
How common is Brathwaite?
Brathwaite ranks #9,053 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,465 people with the surname Brathwaite. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,973), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Brathwaite.
Has Brathwaite become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brathwaite went from 3,429 recorded bearers to 3,465. That is an increase of 36 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,486 to #9,053.
What does the Census say about the background of Brathwaite?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brathwaite, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Brathwaite in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (2,794 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brathwaite appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.6%), Hispanic (10.2%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Brathwaite (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 Brathwaite mean?
A locational surname referring to a place in Yorkshire, England, derived from Old Norse words meaning "broad clearing." 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 Brathwaite (1.16 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 have the last name Brathwaite?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Brathwaite at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.