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

Brighton, 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 Brighton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brighton in America

Brighton is the 19416th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brighton surname appeared 1,392 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 Brighton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brighton 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 Brighton

The surname Brighton originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the place name Brighton, which was first recorded as "Bricthelmes tun" in the Domesday Book of 1086, meaning "Bricthelm's village" or "farmstead of Bricthelm". Bricthelm was an Old English personal name composed of the elements "briht" meaning bright or shining, and "helm" meaning protection or helmet.

Over time, the place name evolved through various spellings such as Brighthelmeston, Brightelmston, and finally Brighton. The surname Brighton likely arose from someone who hailed from the town or had some association with it. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1230, where a William de Brichton is mentioned.

In the 13th century, a family named Brighton held lands in the county of Sussex. A notable member was Sir John de Brighton, who served as a knight under King Edward I and participated in the Scottish Wars of Independence in the late 13th century. Another early bearer of the name was Roger de Brighten, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

During the 16th century, the surname Brighton can be found in various historical records, such as the Visitation of Hampshire in 1530, which mentions a Thomas Brighton. In the 17th century, a prominent figure was Richard Brighton (1595-1679), an English clergyman and ejected minister who served as the Rector of Hitcham, Buckinghamshire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Brighton include John Brighton (1619-1677), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of St John's College, Cambridge, and George Brighton (1766-1847), an English engraver and artist known for his landscapes and topographical views.

Throughout its history, the surname Brighton has also been associated with several place names derived from the town, such as Brighton Park, Brighton Road, and Brighton Hill, found in various locations across England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brighton

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

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 Brighton 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 Brighton 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 Brighton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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