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

Bren, 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 Bren surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bren in America

Bren is the 30043rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bren surname appeared 781 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 Bren.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bren 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.

The history of the last name Bren

The surname BREN has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "bryn" or "brun," meaning a hill or a stream. This suggests that the name may have originated from someone who lived near a prominent hill or stream in a particular region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BREN surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1195, where it appears as "Richard de Brune." This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 12th century and may have been associated with a specific location or landholding.

The BREN surname is also found in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a record of landholders in England compiled in the late 13th century. In this document, the name appears as "John de la Brune," further reinforcing the locational origin of the surname.

During the 14th century, the BREN surname began to appear in various records across different regions of England. In the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a "William Bryn" is listed, while in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1330, a "John atte Brene" is recorded.

Notable historical figures with the BREN surname include:

1. William Bren (c. 1480-1558), an English lawyer and member of the Parliament of England during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI.

2. Thomas Bren (1550-1612), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Peterborough from 1598 until his death.

3. Robert Bren (1670-1736), a British military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession and later became the Governor of Bermuda.

4. Elizabeth Bren (1720-1798), a prominent English philanthropist and benefactor who established a charitable foundation in her hometown of Bristol.

5. John Bren (1810-1875), a British explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in Australia and New Zealand.

While the BREN surname may have evolved from various place names or locations across England, its origins can be traced back to the Old English words denoting hills or streams, reflecting the locational roots of many surnames during the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bren

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

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 Bren was:

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

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

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

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