Find out how popular the last name Brightful is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Brightful.

Brightful, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Brightful surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brightful in America

Brightful is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brightful surname appeared 167 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brightful.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brightful to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Brightful

The surname "BRIGHTFUL" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from an Old English or Middle English compound word that combined the elements "bright" and "full," possibly referring to a person's appearance or character.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hertfordshire tax records of 1327, where a certain John Brightful is mentioned as a landowner. There are also references to a Richard Brightful in the Essex manor rolls of 1389, indicating the name's presence in that region.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various documents related to the city of London. A merchant named William Brightful is mentioned in a guild register from 1462, and a Thomas Brightful is listed as a freeman of the city in 1487.

During the Tudor period, the Brightful family seems to have been well-established in the county of Gloucestershire. A John Brightful (c. 1520-1588) was a prominent landowner and member of the local gentry, while his son, Richard Brightful (1552-1612), served as a magistrate and held several public offices.

In the 17th century, the name gained some notoriety through the exploits of Captain Edward Brightful (1625-1678), a privateer and naval officer who fought against the Dutch during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. His daring exploits were recorded in several contemporary accounts.

Another notable figure was Sir Henry Brightful (1687-1752), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Bristol. He founded several schools and charities, and his name can still be found on some of the city's historical landmarks.

In the 18th century, the Brightful family produced several esteemed scholars and clergymen, including Reverend James Brightful (1718-1792), who served as the headmaster of Eton College, and Dr. William Brightful (1742-1811), a renowned theologian and author of several influential works on religious philosophy.

As the name spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles, various spelling variations emerged, such as Brightfull, Brightfull, and Brightefull. These variations can be found in various historical records and documents from different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brightful

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Brightful.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brightful was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Brightful has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Brightful was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brightful, please contact us.

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