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

Brau, 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 Brau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brau in America

Brau is the 41799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brau surname appeared 520 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brau 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 Brau

The surname BRAU has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old German word "bräu," which means "to brew" or "brewer," suggesting that the name was initially associated with individuals involved in the brewing trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BRAU appears in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, in the year 1572, where a certain Hans BRAU is mentioned as a master brewer. This historical reference provides evidence of the name's connection to the brewing profession during that era.

In the 17th century, the name BRAU was also found in various regions of present-day Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. For instance, a Johann BRAU (1623-1687) was a noted Lutheran theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.

The BRAU surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. Friedrich BRAU (1792-1854) was a German writer and translator who is known for his translations of English literature into German. Another prominent individual was Karl BRAU (1804-1869), a German landscape painter who specialized in depicting scenes from the Black Forest region.

In the 19th century, the surname BRAU also found its way to other parts of Europe. One example is Moritz BRAU (1825-1905), an Austrian composer and music teacher who lived and worked in Vienna.

As the centuries progressed, the BRAU surname continued to be prevalent in various parts of Germany, with some variations in spelling, such as BRAUN or BRÄU. However, it is important to note that these variations may have different etymological roots and should be researched separately.

While the BRAU surname has its origins in the brewing trade, it has since been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of history and the dispersal of families across different regions over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brau

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

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

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

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