2000
#70,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 259
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Brayshaw
A place name referring to a location near a small wood or brushwood area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 339 Americans carry the last name Brayshaw. That puts it at #71,105 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,011,075 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brayshaw 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 Brayshaw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
339
1 in 1,011,075
Census rank
#71,105
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
296
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 296 bearers of the surname Brayshaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 71105th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brayshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brayshaw
The surname Brayshaw has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "bræi" meaning hill or ridge, and "sceaga" meaning small wood or copse. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a wooded hill or ridge.
The name is believed to have originated in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, where it was most prevalent in its early days. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, which lists a Richard de Brayshaw.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Braishagh, Brayschawe, and Brayshay, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Brayshaw family is also referenced in the Whalley Coucher Book, a collection of medieval charters and records from the Cistercian monastery in Whalley, Lancashire.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086 under the order of King William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the name Brayshaw. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Braidschaw and Braidshaigh, which may have been early forms or variations of the surname.
One notable figure in history bearing the surname Brayshaw was John Brayshaw (1583-1658), an English Puritan clergyman who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War. Another individual of note was Ralph Brayshaw (1668-1748), a mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of early telescopes.
In the literary world, the name appears with Samuel Brayshaw (1768-1835), an English poet and writer who published several works, including "The Rambling Pedestrian" and "The Village Maid." Additionally, Thomas Brayshaw (1788-1870) was a respected English artist known for his landscape paintings.
A more recent figure is Sir Alfred Brayshaw Ricketts (1882-1951), a British Army officer who served in World War I and later became a prominent civil servant and member of the Royal Household.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Brayshaw, showcasing its rich heritage and presence across various fields and eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brayshaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Brayshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Brayshaw 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 Brayshaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 261
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 18
- Two or more races2.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 6
- Black or African American1.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brayshaw
Brayshaw 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
#69,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 281
+22 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 680 places
2020
#71,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 296
+15 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 1,312 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #70,473 | 259 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #69,793 | 281 | 0.10 | +22 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 680 places |
| 2020 | #71,105 | 296 | 0.10 | +15 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 1,312 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 Brayshaw 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 | #69,793 | #71,105 | -1.9% |
| Count | 281 | 296 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brayshaw bearers went from 281 to 296 (+5.3% change). The surname moved down 1,312 positions in the national ranking, going from #69,793 to #71,105.
FAQ
Brayshaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brayshaw?
Name Census estimates that about 339 living Americans carry the surname Brayshaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,011,075 residents.
How common is Brayshaw?
Brayshaw ranks #71,105 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 296 people with the surname Brayshaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (339), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Brayshaw.
Has Brayshaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brayshaw went from 281 recorded bearers to 296. That is an increase of 15 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #69,793 to #71,105.
What does the Census say about the background of Brayshaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brayshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Brayshaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (261 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brayshaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Brayshaw (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 Brayshaw mean?
A place name referring to a location near a small wood or brushwood area. 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 Brayshaw (0.10 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 are called Brayshaw?
Find out how common the surname Brayshaw is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.