2000
#9,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,053
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Brewton
A locational surname derived from any of the various places in England called Broughton, meaning "settlement by a brook."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,585 Americans carry the last name Brewton. That puts it at #9,871 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,608 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brewton 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
3.6K
1 in 95,608
Census rank
#9,871
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,126 bearers of the surname Brewton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9871st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brewton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (41.8%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brewton
The surname Brewton originates from England and is believed to have first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "brew" and "tun," which together mean "a place where brewing takes place." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been associated with the brewing industry or resided in areas where brewing was a prominent activity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Brewton name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where a person named William de Brewton is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 12th century and had likely originated a few decades earlier.
In the 13th century, a reference to a Robert de Bruton appears in the Assize Rolls of Somerset, dated 1259. This spelling variation, "Bruton," is thought to be an earlier form of the name, further reinforcing its English origins.
During the Medieval period, the Brewton name was concentrated in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. These areas were known for their thriving brewing industries, which may explain the name's prevalence in those regions.
One notable bearer of the Brewton name was Sir William Brewton, a wealthy landowner and member of Parliament who lived in the 15th century. Records show that he represented the borough of Westbury in the Parliament of 1449.
Another historically significant individual was John Brewton (c. 1515-1584), who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1554 to 1559. He played a prominent role in the religious upheavals of the English Reformation during the reign of Queen Mary I.
In the 17th century, a man named Edward Brewton (1630-1684) gained recognition as a skilled architect and surveyor. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Clement Danes.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Brewton (1720-1789), a successful merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Bristol. He founded several charitable institutions and was also involved in local politics.
Lastly, one cannot overlook the achievements of Mary Brewton (1876-1962), a pioneering British journalist and women's rights activist. She was among the first female correspondents to cover major international events and played a vital role in advocating for gender equality in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brewton
Among Census respondents with the surname Brewton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (41.8%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Brewton 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 Brewton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American48.6% · 1,520
- White41.8% · 1,308
- Two or more races5.2% · 163
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 109
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brewton
Brewton 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
#9,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,304
+251 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 24 places
2020
#9,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,126
-178 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 73 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,774 | 3,053 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,798 | 3,304 | 1.12 | +251 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 24 places |
| 2020 | #9,871 | 3,126 | 1.05 | -178 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 73 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 Brewton 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 | #9,798 | #9,871 | -0.7% |
| Count | 3,304 | 3,126 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.05 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brewton bearers went from 3,304 to 3,126 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 73 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,798 to #9,871.
FAQ
Brewton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brewton?
Name Census estimates that about 3,585 living Americans carry the surname Brewton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,608 residents.
How common is Brewton?
Brewton ranks #9,871 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,126 people with the surname Brewton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,585), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Brewton.
Has Brewton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brewton went from 3,304 recorded bearers to 3,126. That is a decrease of 178 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,798 to #9,871.
What does the Census say about the background of Brewton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brewton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.6%. The next largest groups are White (41.8%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Brewton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.6% (1,520 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brewton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (48.6%), White (41.8%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Brewton (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 Brewton mean?
A locational surname derived from any of the various places in England called Broughton, meaning "settlement by a brook." 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 Brewton (1.05 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 have the last name Brewton?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Brewton, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.