2000
#1,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,576
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.22
Uncommon Last name
Bravo
An Italian and Spanish surname referring to a brave or courageous person, or a round of applause.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 47,964 Americans carry the last name Bravo. That puts it at #803 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,146 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bravo 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 Bravo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
48K
1 in 7,146
Census rank
#803
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
42K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 41,827 bearers of the surname Bravo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 803rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bravo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bravo
The surname Bravo originated in Spain and Italy. Its origins can be traced back to the Latin word "bravus," which means "brave" or "courageous." This word eventually evolved into the Spanish and Italian words "bravo" and "brava," respectively, which carried similar meanings.
In Spain, the surname Bravo is believed to have first appeared in the region of Castile during the Middle Ages. It was likely given as a descriptive nickname to individuals who displayed acts of bravery or courage, either on the battlefield or in other contexts. The name is also found in various historical records from Spain, such as the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census document from the 14th century.
In Italy, the surname Bravo has its roots in various regions, including Lombardy, Veneto, and Campania. It is thought to have originated as a descriptive nickname similar to its Spanish counterpart, possibly referring to individuals who exhibited bravery or valor. The name is mentioned in several historical documents, including the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of records from the Lombard period in Italy.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bravo was Juan Bravo, a Spanish nobleman and military leader who played a prominent role in the Comuneros Revolt against Emperor Charles V in the early 16th century. Another notable figure was Giovanni Bravo, an Italian architect and engineer from the 16th century who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Venice.
In the 17th century, Pedro Bravo de Rivero (1580-1652) was a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of New Mexico and served as the governor of Santa Fe from 1638 to 1642. Francisco Bravo (1592-1676) was a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits, active in Madrid during the Baroque period.
In more recent history, Mariano Bravo (1762-1810) was a Mexican military officer and revolutionary who fought alongside Miguel Hidalgo during the early stages of the Mexican War of Independence. Nicolás Bravo (1786-1854) was another Mexican military leader and politician who served as President of Mexico from 1839 to 1842.
The surname Bravo has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, reflecting its origins as a descriptive name associated with bravery and courage. While its roots lie primarily in Spain and Italy, it has spread to various parts of the world, often through migration and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bravo
Among Census respondents with the surname Bravo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bravo 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 Bravo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.6% · 37,479
- White6.4% · 2,666
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 988
- Black or African American0.8% · 327
- Two or more races0.5% · 207
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 160
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bravo
Bravo 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
#828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,700
+14,124 bearers (+51.2%)
Per 100,000 14.14
Rank movement Up 337 places
2020
#803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,827
+127 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 13.99
Rank movement Up 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,165 | 27,576 | 10.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #828 | 41,700 | 14.14 | +14,124 bearers (+51.2%) | Up 337 places |
| 2020 | #803 | 41,827 | 13.99 | +127 bearers (+0.3%) | Up 25 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 Bravo 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 | #828 | #803 | 3.0% |
| Count | 41,700 | 41,827 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 14.14 | 13.99 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bravo bearers went from 41,700 to 41,827 (+0.3% change). The surname moved up 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #828 to #803.
FAQ
Bravo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bravo?
Name Census estimates that about 47,964 living Americans carry the surname Bravo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,146 residents.
How common is Bravo?
Bravo ranks #803 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 41,827 people with the surname Bravo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (47,964), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Bravo.
Has Bravo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bravo went from 41,700 recorded bearers to 41,827. That is an increase of 127 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #828 to #803.
What does the Census say about the background of Bravo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bravo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bravo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (37,479 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bravo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.6%), White (6.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Bravo (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 Bravo mean?
An Italian and Spanish surname referring to a brave or courageous person, or a round of applause. 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 Bravo (13.99 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 share the surname Bravo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.