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

Brenna, 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 Brenna surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brenna in America

Brenna is the 35721st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brenna surname appeared 629 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 Brenna.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brenna 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 Brenna

The surname Brenna finds its origins in Italy, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages, perhaps as early as the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "brenna," which means "a small, marshy area" or "a swampy field."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brenna can be found in a document dated 1279, which mentions a Pietro Brenna from the region of Lombardy. This suggests that the name was already established in that area by the late 13th century. It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near or worked in a marshy or swampy area.

During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Brenna. One such figure was Giovanni Battista Brenna, a renowned architect and sculptor who lived from 1516 to 1594. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the cities of Milan and Pavia.

Another prominent Brenna was Domenico Brenna, a military commander who served under Napoleon Bonaparte during the early 19th century. He was born in Pavia in 1758 and gained recognition for his bravery and leadership in various battles across Europe.

In the realm of literature, the name Brenna is associated with Giovan Battista Brenna, an Italian poet and playwright who lived from 1616 to 1692. He was born in Milan and is best known for his pastoral dramas and comedies, which were widely popular during his lifetime.

Moving forward in time, the 19th century saw the birth of Emilio Brenna, an Italian artist and sculptor who specialized in marble and bronze works. He was born in 1823 in the town of Vigevano and gained recognition for his sculptures depicting religious and mythological themes.

Throughout its history, the surname Brenna has also been associated with various place names in northern Italy, such as Brenna Bassa and Brenna Alta, which are small towns located in the province of Pavia. These place names likely derived from the same root word as the surname, reflecting the presence of marshy or swampy areas in those regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brenna

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

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

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

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