2000
#13,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,088
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Brew
An occupational surname for a person who brewed beer or ale.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,242 Americans carry the last name Brew. That puts it at #14,620 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brew 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 Brew with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 152,879
Census rank
#14,620
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,955 bearers of the surname Brew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14620th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brew, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brew
The surname BREW originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "brewian," meaning "to brew" or "to make ale." The name likely referred to someone who was involved in the brewing or ale-making trade.
The earliest known record of the BREW surname dates back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, a person named William le Brew is mentioned, indicating the existence of the surname during that time period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the BREW surname was John Brew, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another early record is that of William Brew, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348.
The BREW surname can also be found in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which lists a Richard Brew. Additionally, the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1424, where a Thomas Brew is recorded.
Notable individuals with the BREW surname throughout history include:
1. John Brew (c. 1570-1667), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Kingswinford in Staffordshire.
2. Samuel Brew (1790-1869), an English engraver and painter who was known for his portraits and landscapes.
3. William Brew (1825-1898), a British sailor and explorer who participated in several Arctic expeditions and is credited with discovering the Brew Islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
4. Reginald Brew (1863-1938), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.
5. Jessie Brew (1915-2009), an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films during the mid-20th century.
The BREW surname can also be found in various place names and older spellings of place names. For example, Brewham in Somerset, England, is derived from the Old English words "brewere" and "ham," meaning "the homestead of the brewer." Similarly, the village of Brewton in Somerset is believed to be named after the Brew family who lived there in the 13th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brew
Among Census respondents with the surname Brew, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Brew 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 Brew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.1% · 1,273
- Black or African American26.5% · 518
- Two or more races4.1% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brew
Brew 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
#14,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,010
-78 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 1,393 places
2020
#14,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,955
-55 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,382 | 2,088 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,775 | 2,010 | 0.68 | -78 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 1,393 places |
| 2020 | #14,620 | 1,955 | 0.65 | -55 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 155 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 Brew 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 | #14,775 | #14,620 | 1.0% |
| Count | 2,010 | 1,955 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.65 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brew bearers went from 2,010 to 1,955 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,775 to #14,620.
FAQ
Brew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brew?
Name Census estimates that about 2,242 living Americans carry the surname Brew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,879 residents.
How common is Brew?
Brew ranks #14,620 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,955 people with the surname Brew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,242), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Brew.
Has Brew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brew went from 2,010 recorded bearers to 1,955. That is a decrease of 55 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,775 to #14,620.
What does the Census say about the background of Brew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brew, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Brew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.1% (1,273 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.1%), Black (26.5%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Brew (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 Brew mean?
An occupational surname for a person who brewed beer or ale. 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 Brew (0.65 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 many Americans have the surname Brew?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.