2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brigati
An occupational surname from the Italian word "brigata" meaning a group or troop.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 158 Americans carry the last name Brigati. That puts it at #129,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,169,331 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brigati 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
158
1 in 2,169,331
Census rank
#129,045
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
138
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 138 bearers of the surname Brigati in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brigati, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brigati
The surname Brigati is of Italian origin, originating in the late medieval period, likely around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Italian word "brigata," which means a group or company of people, particularly soldiers or armed men. This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who was part of a military brigade or group.
Brigati is believed to have first emerged in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, where some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found. In the 14th century, a document from the city of Bologna mentions a certain Giacomo Brigati, who was a member of the local nobility.
One of the earliest and most notable historical figures bearing the Brigati name was Pietro Brigati, a renowned Italian painter and architect who lived in the 15th century (c. 1420-1490). He was active in the Emilia-Romagna region and is known for his works in churches and palaces throughout the area.
In the 16th century, the Brigati family had established itself as a prominent noble family in the city of Mantua. Records from that time mention a Francesco Brigati (c. 1530-1592), who served as a diplomat and ambassador for the Gonzaga rulers of Mantua.
Another notable individual with the Brigati surname was Giovanni Battista Brigati (c. 1610-1680), a Jesuit priest and theologian from Bologna. He was a respected scholar and author, publishing several works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, a member of the Brigati family, Antonio Brigati (c. 1720-1795), gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and public buildings in the city of Parma and its surrounding areas.
While the name Brigati has its roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, the earliest recorded instances and most notable historical figures bearing this surname can be traced back to its origins in the Italian regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brigati
Among Census respondents with the surname Brigati, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Brigati 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 Brigati surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 2
- Two or more races1.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brigati
Brigati 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+7 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,445 places
2020
#129,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+18 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 10,183 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 2,445 places |
| 2020 | #129,045 | 138 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 10,183 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 Brigati 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 | #139,228 | #129,045 | 7.3% |
| Count | 120 | 138 | 15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 15.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brigati bearers went from 120 to 138 (+15.0% change). The surname moved up 10,183 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #129,045.
FAQ
Brigati surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brigati?
Name Census estimates that about 158 living Americans carry the surname Brigati. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,169,331 residents.
How common is Brigati?
Brigati ranks #129,045 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 138 people with the surname Brigati. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (158), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Brigati.
Has Brigati become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brigati went from 120 recorded bearers to 138. That is an increase of 18 (+15.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #139,228 to #129,045.
What does the Census say about the background of Brigati?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brigati, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.4%). 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 Brigati in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (128 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brigati appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.4%). 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 Brigati (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 Brigati mean?
An occupational surname from the Italian word "brigata" meaning a group or troop. 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 Brigati (0.05 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 share the surname Brigati?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.