Braza last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Braza

A surname derived from the Spanish word "braza," meaning a unit of length or measurement.

Braza, 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 Braza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Braza in America

Braza is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Braza surname appeared 202 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 Braza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Braza 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank91221869924.75%
Count2021991.50%
Proportion per 100k0.070.070.00%

The history of the last name Braza

The surname Braza originated in Portugal, with records indicating its presence as early as the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Portuguese word "braza," meaning "ember" or "glowing coal," possibly referring to an ancestor's occupation or a distinguishing physical characteristic.

One of the earliest known references to the Braza name can be found in a 1392 document from the municipality of Braga, which mentions a certain João Braza. This suggests that the name may have originated in the northern region of Portugal, particularly around the city of Braga.

During the Age of Exploration, as Portuguese navigators and explorers ventured across the globe, the Braza name likely spread to other parts of the world. In the 16th century, records show a Diogo Braza, a navigator and cartographer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his historic circumnavigation voyage.

In the 17th century, the Braza name appeared in several historical documents related to the Portuguese colonial presence in Brazil. One notable individual was Manuel Braza, a settler who established a sugar plantation in the state of Pernambuco in the 1630s.

As the Portuguese empire expanded, the Braza surname also found its way to other parts of the world, including Africa and Asia. In the 18th century, a Jesuit missionary named Francisco Braza was known for his efforts in evangelizing the indigenous populations of Mozambique.

In the 19th century, the Braza family had a notable presence in the arts and literature. António Braza (1810-1879) was a renowned Portuguese painter and sculptor, renowned for his works depicting historical and religious themes.

Throughout history, the Braza surname has been associated with various professions and achievements. In the 20th century, Jorge Braza (1901-1982) was a prominent Portuguese architect who designed several iconic buildings in Lisbon and Porto.

While the Braza surname may have undergone slight variations in spelling over the centuries, its Portuguese roots and connection to the word "braza" have remained consistent. The name has left its mark across multiple continents, carried by individuals who have contributed to various fields and cultures throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Braza

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

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 Braza was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only51.49%104
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only41.58%84
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races4.95%10
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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 Braza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White51.49%50.75%1.45%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander41.58%39.20%5.89%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races4.95%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic(S)%8.04%(S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.

Search
Search
Background shape