2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brazan
A locational surname thought to be derived from the name of a town or region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Brazan. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brazan 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Brazan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brazan, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brazan
The surname Brazan is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal, during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Basque word "braz," which means "arm" or "embrace," suggesting a possible connection to warriors or embracers of the faith.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Brazan can be found in the Catalan "Llibre del Repartiment" (Book of Distribution) from the 13th century. This document, created after the Christian conquest of Valencia in 1238, lists individuals who received lands and properties as a reward for their participation in the campaign. Several individuals with the surname Brazan are mentioned, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Juan Brazan was a renowned knight who fought alongside King Alfonso XI of Castile in the Battle of Rio Salado against the Moroccan Marinid dynasty in 1340. His bravery and loyalty to the crown were celebrated, and his name was recorded in historical chronicles of the time.
The name Brazan also appears in various medieval manuscripts and records from the Iberian Peninsula, such as the "Fuero de Teruel" (Charter of Teruel) from the 13th century and the "Libro de Repartimiento de Mallorca" (Book of Distribution of Majorca) from the 14th century.
During the 15th century, a notable figure named Pedro Brazan was a respected scholar and poet in the court of King Juan II of Aragon. His works, which included love poems and sonnets, were highly regarded and contributed to the literary culture of the time.
In the 16th century, a renowned explorer and navigator named Diego Brazan accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to the Americas. Brazan played a crucial role in the conquest of Mexico and was instrumental in establishing Spanish settlements in the New World.
As the centuries passed, the Brazan surname continued to be present in various regions of Spain and Portugal, with notable individuals emerging in various fields, including politics, arts, and military endeavors. The name's enduring presence in these regions serves as a testament to its deep-rooted history and cultural significance within the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brazan
Among Census respondents with the surname Brazan, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Brazan 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 Brazan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.9% · 73
- Black or African American35.6% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brazan
Brazan 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,522 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 14,522 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 630 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 Brazan 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 | #144,141 | #143,511 | 0.4% |
| Count | 115 | 118 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brazan bearers went from 115 to 118 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #143,511.
FAQ
Brazan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brazan?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Brazan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Brazan?
Brazan ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Brazan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Brazan.
Has Brazan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brazan went from 115 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Brazan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brazan, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.9%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Brazan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.9% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brazan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.9%), Black (35.6%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Brazan (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 Brazan mean?
A locational surname thought to be derived from the name of a town or region. 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 Brazan (0.04 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 Brazan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.