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

Brewer, 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 Brewer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brewer in America

Brewer is the 303rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brewer surname appeared 103,318 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 35 people would have the surname Brewer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brewer 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 Brewer

The surname Brewer originated in England and has been used since the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word 'brewere', meaning a person who brewed ale or beer for a living. The name first appeared in historical records in the late 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brewer can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Dorset from 1195, where a Robert le Breuuere is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. Another early reference is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1212, which lists a William le Bruwere.

The Brewer surname is also recorded in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, albeit under various spellings such as 'Breaur' and 'Bruuator'. This ancient document provides valuable insights into the distribution of the name across different regions of medieval England.

Several notable individuals have borne the Brewer surname throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Thomas Brewer (c. 1490-1548), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was James Brewer (1667-1717), a British clergyman who became the Bishop of Gloucester in 1715.

In the literary world, John Brewer (1616-1667) was an English playwright and poet who wrote several plays, including The Lovesick Maid and The Lovesick Court. The name also has ties to the scientific community, with the astronomer John Brewer (1783-1862) who discovered several comets and asteroids.

Moving into the 20th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Roy Brewer (1909-2006), an American chemist who played a crucial role in the development of the birth control pill. His research on synthetic hormones and their applications in contraception revolutionized the field of reproductive health.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brewer

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

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

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

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