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

Brave, 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 Brave surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brave in America

Brave is the 38214th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brave surname appeared 580 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 Brave.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brave 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 Brave

The surname Brave is derived from the Old French word 'brave', which means 'valiant' or 'courageous'. It originated in France, where it was initially used as a nickname for someone who displayed bravery or valorous acts.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Brave can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Normandy, France. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Raoul le Brave, a Norman knight who fought in the Third Crusade alongside King Richard I of England in the late 12th century.

Historically, the name Brave has been associated with military service and acts of bravery. In the 14th century, a Flemish soldier named Jean Brave was recorded in the chronicles of the Hundred Years' War for his courage in battle against the English forces.

The Brave surname spread across Europe during the Middle Ages, with variations in spelling such as Bravé, Bravo, and Bräve appearing in different regions. In the 16th century, a Spanish explorer named Juan Brave was part of the expedition led by Hernán Cortés that conquered the Aztec Empire in Mexico.

One notable bearer of the Brave surname was Sir John Brave (1568-1631), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. He was knighted for his valor in battles against the Spanish Armada and later served as a governor of the Isle of Man.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Brave (1695-1768), a French-born military engineer who served in the British Army during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. He was responsible for designing and constructing several fortifications in North America, including Fort Oswego in present-day New York.

In the 19th century, a Scottish artist named James Brave (1819-1891) gained recognition for his landscape paintings depicting the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands. His works are now held in various art galleries and museums across the United Kingdom.

While the surname Brave has its roots in France, it has since spread globally and can be found in many countries today, with bearers of the name continuing to make their mark in various fields and endeavors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brave

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

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

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

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