2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bratman
A surname likely derived from the Yiddish word "brat" meaning brother.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Bratman. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bratman 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Bratman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bratman, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bratman
The surname Bratman is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "braten," which means "to roast" or "to fry." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked as a cook or a baker, or perhaps someone who lived near a bakery or eatery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bratman can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the former Margraviate of Brandenburg, dated around the 13th century. In this record, a person named "Johannes Bratman" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Spandau, located near present-day Berlin.
The Bratman name also appears in the Liber Censualis, a medieval census of landowners and taxpayers compiled in the 14th century for the Electorate of Saxony. This document lists several individuals with variations of the name, such as "Brathmann" and "Bratmann," residing in various villages and towns across the region.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Bratman (1525-1592) was a prominent merchant and financier in the city of Nuremberg, known for his involvement in the trading of spices and textiles. His wealth and influence earned him a respected position within the city's elite circles.
Another historical figure with the surname Bratman was Johann Bratman (1670-1738), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg in the early 18th century. His compositions, primarily sacred works and organ pieces, were well-regarded during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the name Bratman can be found in various records across different regions of Germany, indicating its spread and popularity over time. For example, in 1856, a man named Friedrich Bratman (1813-1879) was listed as a respected teacher and headmaster of a prestigious school in the city of Dresden.
As the surname Bratman evolved and spread, it also took on variations in spelling, such as Brattmann, Brattman, and Brattmann, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences. However, these variations all trace their roots back to the original Old German word "braten" and the occupation or location associated with it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bratman
Among Census respondents with the surname Bratman, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bratman 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 Bratman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bratman
Bratman 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-30 bearers (-21.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,682 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 444 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-21.0%) | Down 32,682 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 444 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 Bratman 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 | #146,201 | #145,757 | 0.3% |
| Count | 113 | 115 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bratman bearers went from 113 to 115 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 444 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #145,757.
FAQ
Bratman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bratman?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Bratman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Bratman?
Bratman ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Bratman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Bratman.
Has Bratman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bratman went from 113 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Bratman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bratman, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bratman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bratman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bratman (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 Bratman mean?
A surname likely derived from the Yiddish word "brat" meaning brother. 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 Bratman (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 many people have the last name Bratman?
See how many people have the surname Bratman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.