2000
#4,552
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.65
Rare Last name
Briley
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "a clearing or wood of broom shrubs."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,765 Americans carry the last name Briley. That puts it at #6,491 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,454 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Briley 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 Briley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,454
Census rank
#6,491
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,027 bearers of the surname Briley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6491st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Briley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Briley
The surname Briley is of English origin, derived from a place name in Staffordshire, England. It is believed to have originated in the 12th century from the Old English words "bri" meaning hill or ridge, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Briley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1195, where a person named Walter de Brileye is mentioned. This form of the name suggests a connection to the place name Brileye, which is likely the modern-day Brereley in Staffordshire.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as de Bryley, de Brileygh, and de Brilegh, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. These variations were common in medieval records due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
The Briley surname is not found in the Domesday Book of 1086, likely because it emerged later from the place name. However, it is possible that the surname's roots can be traced back to landowners or residents of the area during the Norman conquest.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Briley was John Briley, who was born in Staffordshire in 1540. He served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Briley (1618-1681), an English merchant and landowner who played a crucial role in the development of the city of Bristol. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1670 and was knighted by King Charles II for his contributions to the city's prosperity.
In the 18th century, William Briley (1725-1798) was a renowned English author and poet. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Pastures of Parnassus," which celebrated the beauty of the English countryside.
In the 19th century, Mary Briley (1823-1896) was a pioneering educator who established several schools for underprivileged children in London. She was recognized for her efforts in improving access to education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
More recently, James Briley (1920-2005) was an American screenwriter and author. He won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on the 1977 film "The Prince of Tides," based on the novel by Pat Conroy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Briley
Among Census respondents with the surname Briley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Briley 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 Briley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.0% · 3,919
- Black or African American13.4% · 676
- Two or more races4.3% · 216
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 177
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Briley
Briley 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
#6,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,629
-1,526 bearers (-21.3%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 1,542 places
2020
#6,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,027
-602 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 397 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,552 | 7,155 | 2.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,094 | 5,629 | 1.91 | -1,526 bearers (-21.3%) | Down 1,542 places |
| 2020 | #6,491 | 5,027 | 1.68 | -602 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 397 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 Briley 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 | #6,094 | #6,491 | -6.5% |
| Count | 5,629 | 5,027 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.91 | 1.68 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Briley bearers went from 5,629 to 5,027 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 397 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,094 to #6,491.
FAQ
Briley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Briley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,765 living Americans carry the surname Briley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,454 residents.
How common is Briley?
Briley ranks #6,491 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,027 people with the surname Briley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,765), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Briley.
Has Briley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Briley went from 5,629 recorded bearers to 5,027. That is a decrease of 602 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,094 to #6,491.
What does the Census say about the background of Briley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Briley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Briley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (3,919 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Briley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.0%), Black (13.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Briley (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 Briley mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "a clearing or wood of broom shrubs." 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 Briley (1.68 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 Briley?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Briley at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.