2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bremby
A surname derived from a place name location in Yorkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Bremby. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bremby 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Bremby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bremby, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bremby
The surname Bremby has its origins in the North of England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. It is believed to have originated in the 13th century, derived from the Old English word "brembles," which referred to a thicket or bramble patch.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Bremby can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John de Bremby is listed as residing in the village of Wharram Percy. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a particular location or landholding in that area.
In the 15th century, the Bremby surname appears in various historical documents, including the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1429, where a Robert Bremby is mentioned. This record provides evidence of the family's presence and influence in the region during that time period.
One notable figure bearing the Bremby name was Sir William Bremby (1540-1618), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Aldborough in Yorkshire. He was a prominent figure in local politics and served as a Justice of the Peace for the county.
Another historical individual with the Bremby surname was Thomas Bremby (1598-1673), a clergyman who served as the Rector of Kirby Grindalythe in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He was known for his religious writings and sermons, some of which were published during his lifetime.
In the 17th century, the Bremby family continued to maintain a presence in Yorkshire, with records showing various members holding positions of local importance. For example, a John Bremby (1625-1698) served as the Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1682.
As the centuries progressed, the spelling of the surname evolved, with variations such as Brembey, Brembee, and Brembey appearing in historical documents. However, the core of the name remained linked to its Yorkshire origins and the possible association with a location or landholding related to brambles or thickets.
While the Bremby surname may not have achieved widespread fame or recognition beyond its regional roots, its long history and persistence in Yorkshire suggest a deep connection to the local community and the unique linguistic and geographical influences that shaped its development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bremby
Among Census respondents with the surname Bremby, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bremby 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 Bremby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American85.6% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- White2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bremby
Bremby 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
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,344 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-11 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,449 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 15,344 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 9,449 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 Bremby 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 | #153,590 | -6.6% |
| Count | 115 | 104 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bremby bearers went from 115 to 104 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 9,449 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #153,590.
FAQ
Bremby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bremby?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Bremby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Bremby?
Bremby ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Bremby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bremby.
Has Bremby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bremby went from 115 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Bremby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bremby, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bremby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bremby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (85.6%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Bremby (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 Bremby mean?
A surname derived from a place name location in Yorkshire, England. 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 Bremby (0.03 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 common is the surname Bremby?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Bremby is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.