2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brilinski
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Poland, likely referring to someone from that locality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Brilinski. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brilinski 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Brilinski in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brilinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brilinski
The surname BRILINSKI is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "brylant," meaning "brilliant" or "diamond," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with precious stones or had a connection to the trade.
BRILINSKI is believed to have originated in the regions of Greater Poland and Silesia, where it was commonly found among the nobility and wealthy merchants. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in a document from 1587 in the city of Poznan, where a certain Jan BRILINSKI is mentioned as a jeweler.
During the 17th century, the name began to spread across other parts of Poland, with several prominent individuals bearing the BRILINSKI surname. One notable figure was Tomasz BRILINSKI (1620-1687), a renowned military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish Wars and was celebrated for his bravery and strategic prowess.
In the 18th century, the BRILINSKI name gained further recognition with the birth of Karol BRILINSKI (1745-1821), a renowned Polish philosopher and writer who made significant contributions to the Enlightenment movement in Poland. His works on ethics and political theory were widely read and influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
As the years passed, the BRILINSKI surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals. In the 19th century, Franciszek BRILINSKI (1801-1876) was a prominent Polish architect whose designs left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of Warsaw and other cities in the region.
Another notable figure was Maria BRILINSKA (1872-1941), a pioneering Polish archaeologist and one of the first women to lead major excavations in the country. Her work at the ancient site of Biskupin greatly contributed to the understanding of early Slavic settlements in the region.
Throughout its history, the BRILINSKI surname has maintained a strong presence in Poland, with families bearing this name contributing to various fields, including academia, arts, and politics. While the name may have evolved slightly in spelling over time, its origins remain rooted in the Polish heritage and continue to hold significance in the country's cultural tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brilinski
Among Census respondents with the surname Brilinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Brilinski 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 Brilinski surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 91
- Two or more races5.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brilinski
Brilinski appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-20 bearers (-16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,848 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.8%) | Down 15,848 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 Brilinski 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 | #140,157 | #156,005 | -11.3% |
| Count | 119 | 99 | -16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brilinski bearers went from 119 to 99 (-16.8% change). The surname moved down 15,848 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #156,005.
FAQ
Brilinski surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brilinski?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Brilinski. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Brilinski?
Brilinski ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Brilinski. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Brilinski.
Has Brilinski become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brilinski went from 119 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Brilinski?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brilinski, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Brilinski in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brilinski appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Black (1.0%). 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 Brilinski (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 Brilinski mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Poland, likely referring to someone from that locality. 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 Brilinski (0.03 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 have the last name Brilinski?
See how many people have the last name Brilinski on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.