2000
#9,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Brick
An occupational surname referring to someone who made or worked with bricks or built with brick.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,486 Americans carry the last name Brick. That puts it at #10,105 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,323 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brick 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 Brick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,323
Census rank
#10,105
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,040 bearers of the surname Brick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10105th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brick
The surname Brick is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "brice," which means "brick" or "tile." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with bricks or tiles, such as a bricklayer or a tilemaker.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Brick can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Walter le Brickman, who was mentioned in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279. The "le" prefix in his name suggests that he was likely a bricklayer or worked with bricks in some capacity.
In the 14th century, the surname Brick began to appear in various forms, such as Bryk, Brike, and Brycke. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time. One notable individual from this period was John Brike, who was listed in the Court Rolls of Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1379.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Brick became more widespread across England. It was often associated with specific locations, such as Brickhill in Buckinghamshire and Brickworth in Wiltshire. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the brick-making trade.
One prominent figure with the surname Brick was Richard Brick, a renowned English architect and surveyor who lived from 1679 to 1759. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including St. Paul's Church in Deptford and the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich.
Another notable individual was John Brick, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He owned extensive properties in Gloucestershire and was instrumental in the development of the town of Stroud.
In the 19th century, the Brick surname gained recognition through individuals such as Joseph Brick, a British engineer who contributed to the development of early steam engines, and Mary Brick, a prominent social reformer and advocate for women's rights.
Throughout its history, the surname Brick has been associated with various occupations, from bricklayers and tilemakers to architects and merchants. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, and it has since spread across the world, with notable bearers of the name appearing in various fields and industries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brick
Among Census respondents with the surname Brick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Brick 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 Brick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 2,753
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 109
- Two or more races2.8% · 86
- Black or African American1.5% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brick
Brick 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
#9,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,235
+102 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 451 places
2020
#10,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,040
-195 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 136 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,518 | 3,133 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,969 | 3,235 | 1.10 | +102 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 451 places |
| 2020 | #10,105 | 3,040 | 1.02 | -195 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 136 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 Brick 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 | #9,969 | #10,105 | -1.4% |
| Count | 3,235 | 3,040 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.02 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brick bearers went from 3,235 to 3,040 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 136 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,969 to #10,105.
FAQ
Brick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brick?
Name Census estimates that about 3,486 living Americans carry the surname Brick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,323 residents.
How common is Brick?
Brick ranks #10,105 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,040 people with the surname Brick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,486), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Brick.
Has Brick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brick went from 3,235 recorded bearers to 3,040. That is a decrease of 195 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,969 to #10,105.
What does the Census say about the background of Brick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Brick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,753 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Brick (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 Brick mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who made or worked with bricks or built with brick. 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 Brick (1.02 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 Brick?
You can see how many people are called Brick on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.