2000
#923
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,575
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.82
Uncommon Last name
Bray
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "steep bank."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 37,040 Americans carry the last name Bray. That puts it at #1,067 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,254 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bray 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 Bray with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
37K
1 in 9,254
Census rank
#1,067
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
32K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 32,301 bearers of the surname Bray in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1067th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bray, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bray
The surname Bray originated in England, deriving from the Old French word "brai" or "bret," meaning a hill or a steep bank. It is believed to have emerged as a locational name, referring to individuals who lived near a prominent hill or elevated land.
The earliest recorded instances of the Bray surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various counties across England, including Essex, Berkshire, and Wiltshire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Bray, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1179.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, several places with names derived from the word "bray" are mentioned, such as Bray in Berkshire and Bray in Devon.
During the Middle Ages, the Bray surname was associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Sir Reginald Bray (c. 1440-1503), a prominent architect and courtier who served under King Henry VII. He played a significant role in the construction of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey.
Another notable bearer of the Bray surname was Thomas Bray (1658-1730), an English clergyman and philanthropist. He founded the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), both influential organizations in the spread of Christianity and education.
In the literary realm, Anna Eliza Bray (1790-1883) was a renowned English novelist and writer. She authored several historical novels and travel books, including "A Description of the Part of Devonshire Bordering on the Tamar and the Tavy" and "The Borders of the Tamar and the Tavy."
The Bray surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, Bray in Berkshire was recorded as "Bray" in the Domesday Book, while Bray in Devon was known as "Brai" in the 13th century.
Other notable individuals with the Bray surname include Sir Reginald Bray (c. 1475-1539), an English diplomat and courtier during the reign of King Henry VIII, and John Bray (1501-1558), an English churchman and Protestant reformer who played a role in the English Reformation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bray
Among Census respondents with the surname Bray, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bray 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 Bray surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 25,761
- Black or African American11.1% · 3,579
- Two or more races4.3% · 1,373
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 1,085
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 261
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 242
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bray
Bray 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
#1,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,906
+331 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 11.83
Rank movement Down 80 places
2020
#1,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,301
-2,605 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 10.81
Rank movement Down 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #923 | 34,575 | 12.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,003 | 34,906 | 11.83 | +331 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 80 places |
| 2020 | #1,067 | 32,301 | 10.81 | -2,605 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 64 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 Bray 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 | #1,003 | #1,067 | -6.4% |
| Count | 34,906 | 32,301 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 11.83 | 10.81 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bray bearers went from 34,906 to 32,301 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,003 to #1,067.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bray
FAQ
Bray surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bray?
Name Census estimates that about 37,040 living Americans carry the surname Bray. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,254 residents.
How common is Bray?
Bray ranks #1,067 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 32,301 people with the surname Bray. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (37,040), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Bray.
Has Bray become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bray went from 34,906 recorded bearers to 32,301. That is a decrease of 2,605 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,003 to #1,067.
What does the Census say about the background of Bray?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bray, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Bray in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (25,761 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bray appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.8%), Black (11.1%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Bray (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 Bray mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "hill" or "steep bank." 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 Bray (10.81 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 surname Bray?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.