2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Brider
A Germanic occupational surname for someone who brewed ale or beer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Brider. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brider 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 Brider with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Brider in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brider, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.2%. The next largest groups are White (16.4%) and Hispanic (8.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brider
The surname BRIDER is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "brid," meaning "young bird" or "nestling." This suggests that the name may have been a nickname given to someone who was small, young, or perhaps even had a bird-like appearance or mannerisms.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Roger Bridere." This historical document, which recorded landowners and their holdings, provides evidence of the name's existence during the medieval period.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Bridder" and "Briddere," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common in those times. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1327 list a "Johannes Briddere," indicating the name's presence in the region.
The BRIDER surname can also be traced to certain place names in England. For instance, the village of Bridekirk in Cumbria may have contributed to the name's development, as it was once known as "Briddeskirk" or "Briderkirk" in ancient records.
Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname BRIDER include:
1. William BRIDER (c. 1540-1618), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Dean of Salisbury Cathedral.
2. John BRIDER (1662-1744), a British merchant and landowner known for his extensive trade with the American colonies.
3. Elizabeth BRIDER (1738-1821), a renowned English painter and portraitist who was commissioned by several noble families.
4. Thomas BRIDER (1789-1862), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.
5. Mary BRIDER (1845-1927), an American educator and pioneer in the field of early childhood education, who founded several schools in New England.
While the surname BRIDER is not as common as some other English names, it has a rich history that spans centuries and is deeply rooted in the language and culture of the British Isles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brider
Among Census respondents with the surname Brider, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.2%. The next largest groups are White (16.4%) and Hispanic (8.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Brider 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 Brider surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American67.2% · 78
- White16.4% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 10
- Two or more races6.9% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brider
Brider 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-22 bearers (-16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 28,337 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,367 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-16.7%) | Down 28,337 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,367 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 Brider 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 | #149,395 | #145,028 | 2.9% |
| Count | 110 | 116 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brider bearers went from 110 to 116 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,367 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #145,028.
FAQ
Brider surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brider?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Brider. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Brider?
Brider ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Brider. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Brider.
Has Brider become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brider went from 110 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Brider?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brider, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.2%. The next largest groups are White (16.4%) and Hispanic (8.6%). 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 Brider in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.2% (78 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brider appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (67.2%), White (16.4%), Hispanic (8.6%). 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 Brider (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 Brider mean?
A Germanic occupational surname for someone who brewed ale or beer. 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 Brider (0.04 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 Brider?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.