2000
#4,408
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,436
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.76
Rare Last name
Brent
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "burnt land" or "land cleared by burning."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,321 Americans carry the last name Brent. That puts it at #4,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,191 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brent 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Brent with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.3K
1 in 41,191
Census rank
#4,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,256 bearers of the surname Brent in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brent, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brent
The surname Brent is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "brent," which means "burnt" or "burnt land." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive term for someone living on or near a piece of burnt or cleared land.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Brent can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landownership and taxation conducted in England in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This indicates that the name was already in use during the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records and documents, often associated with locations or place names. For instance, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William de Brent, suggesting a connection to a place called Brent. Similarly, the Pipe Rolls of 1230 reference a Roger de Brent, potentially linking the name to a locality bearing the same name.
Throughout the centuries, the name Brent has been subject to various spelling variations, including Brente, Brant, and Brunt. These variations reflect the fluidity of surname spelling before standardization became more common.
Notable individuals with the surname Brent have made their mark in various fields. Sir Nathaniel Brent (1573-1652) was an English lawyer and politician who served as Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and as a Member of Parliament. Another prominent figure was Sir Digby Brent (1592-1672), an English politician and landowner who served as a Parliamentarian during the English Civil War.
Other historical figures with the surname Brent include Robert Brent (1764-1819), an American politician and jurist who served as the first Attorney General of Virginia, and Margaret Brent (c. 1601-c. 1671), an English settler in colonial Maryland, known for her advocacy for women's rights and her role in the provincial government.
In the realm of literature, the surname Brent is associated with the British author and playwright Romilly Brent (1925-2016), whose works include plays and novels exploring social issues and family dynamics.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Brent, each contributing to the rich tapestry of its legacy and significance across various fields and eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brent
Among Census respondents with the surname Brent, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Brent 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 Brent surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.2% · 4,075
- Black or African American33.8% · 2,453
- Two or more races5.6% · 406
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 209
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brent
Brent 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
#4,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,820
+384 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.65
Rank movement Down 127 places
2020
#4,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,256
-564 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 2.43
Rank movement Down 197 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,408 | 7,436 | 2.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,535 | 7,820 | 2.65 | +384 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 127 places |
| 2020 | #4,732 | 7,256 | 2.43 | -564 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 197 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 Brent 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 | #4,535 | #4,732 | -4.3% |
| Count | 7,820 | 7,256 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.65 | 2.43 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brent bearers went from 7,820 to 7,256 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 197 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,535 to #4,732.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Brent
FAQ
Brent surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brent?
Name Census estimates that about 8,321 living Americans carry the surname Brent. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,191 residents.
How common is Brent?
Brent ranks #4,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,256 people with the surname Brent. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,321), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Brent.
Has Brent become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brent went from 7,820 recorded bearers to 7,256. That is a decrease of 564 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,535 to #4,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Brent?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brent, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.2%. The next largest groups are Black (33.8%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Brent in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.2% (4,075 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brent appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.2%), Black (33.8%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Brent (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 Brent mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "burnt land" or "land cleared by burning." 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 Brent (2.43 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 Brent?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Brent on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.