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

Brenner, 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 Brenner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brenner in America

Brenner is the 2255th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brenner surname appeared 16,114 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Brenner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brenner 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 Brenner

The surname Brenner is of German origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "brennen," which means "to burn." The name likely referred to someone who worked as a burner or charcoal maker.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various medieval records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries. It was particularly prevalent in regions of present-day Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Heinrich Brenner, a wealthy merchant who lived in Nuremberg in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in several trade records from the time.

In the 15th century, the name Brenner appeared in the famous Berner Chronik, a medieval chronicle from the city of Bern, Switzerland. The chronicle mentions a certain Hans Brenner, a skilled craftsman who worked on the construction of the Bern Cathedral.

During the 16th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Andreas Brenner (1495-1559), a German theologian and reformer. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable bearer of the name was Johann von Brenner (1624-1673), a German astronomer and mathematician. He made important contributions to the study of comets and the calculation of their orbits.

In the 18th century, the name Brenner was associated with the Austrian botanist and physician Johann Gottlieb Brenner (1730-1801). He was renowned for his research on the flora of the Tyrol region and published several works on the subject.

The 19th century saw the birth of the German painter and printmaker Eduard Brenner (1834-1892). He was a prominent figure in the Munich School of Realist painters and is known for his landscape paintings and etchings.

Throughout history, the surname Brenner has been linked to various place names and locations, such as the Brenner Pass, a famous mountain pass in the Alps between Italy and Austria. The pass was named after the nearby village of Brenner, which in turn derived its name from the German word "brennen."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brenner

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

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

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

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