2000
#6,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.90
Rare Last name
Brewington
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the settlement of Brewin's people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,825 Americans carry the last name Brewington. That puts it at #6,434 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,842 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brewington 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.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,842
Census rank
#6,434
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,080 bearers of the surname Brewington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6434th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brewington, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brewington
The surname BREWINGTON is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "brywan" (to brew) and "tun" (an enclosure or settlement), suggesting that the name referred to someone who lived in a place where brewing took place or someone involved in the brewing trade.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical records and documents from that time. One notable mention is in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1275, which lists a William de Bruyntone.
The name has also been found in other medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John de Brewyntone. These early spellings, including Bruyntone, Brewyntone, and Brewingtone, reflect the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, where a Thomas de Brewyngtone is mentioned in 1348. This record provides insight into the geographical spread of the name during that period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Brewington (c. 1380-1450), a prominent figure in Staffordshire who served as a Member of Parliament and held various positions of importance during the reign of Henry VI.
Another noteworthy individual was Thomas Brewington (c. 1510-1585), a respected clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire and was known for his scholarly works on theology.
In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Robert Brewington (1628-1697), a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire. His descendants played significant roles in the local community for generations.
During the 18th century, the name was associated with the renowned writer and scholar, Samuel Brewington (1702-1782), who authored several influential works on philosophy and literature.
The 19th century saw the rise of Sir William Brewington (1822-1892), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from Yorkshire, whose contributions to the local community and industry were widely recognized.
Throughout its history, the surname BREWINGTON has been linked to various locations across England, particularly in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire, reflecting the geographical spread and influence of families bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brewington
Among Census respondents with the surname Brewington, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Brewington 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 Brewington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.2% · 2,345
- Black or African American35.3% · 1,793
- American Indian and Alaska Native8.1% · 409
- Two or more races7.0% · 358
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 155
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brewington
Brewington 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
#6,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,366
+238 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Down 199 places
2020
#6,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,080
-286 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 82 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,153 | 5,128 | 1.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,352 | 5,366 | 1.82 | +238 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 199 places |
| 2020 | #6,434 | 5,080 | 1.70 | -286 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 82 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 Brewington 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 | #6,352 | #6,434 | -1.3% |
| Count | 5,366 | 5,080 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.82 | 1.70 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brewington bearers went from 5,366 to 5,080 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 82 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,352 to #6,434.
FAQ
Brewington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brewington?
Name Census estimates that about 5,825 living Americans carry the surname Brewington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,842 residents.
How common is Brewington?
Brewington ranks #6,434 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 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 5,080 people with the surname Brewington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,825), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 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 Brewington.
Has Brewington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brewington went from 5,366 recorded bearers to 5,080. That is a decrease of 286 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,352 to #6,434.
What does the Census say about the background of Brewington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brewington, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.2%. The next largest groups are Black (35.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (8.1%). 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 Brewington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.2% (2,345 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brewington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.2%), Black (35.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (8.1%). 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 Brewington (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 Brewington mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the settlement of Brewin's people." 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 Brewington (1.70 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 people are called Brewington?
See how many people have the surname Brewington on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.