2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brillinger
An English occupational surname referring to a maker of brills or horse harnesses.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Brillinger. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brillinger 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Brillinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brillinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brillinger
The surname Brillinger originated in Germany during the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "brill," meaning "spectacles" or "eyeglasses," and the suffix "-inger," which denotes a person from a particular place or region. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone associated with the eyeglasses trade or someone who wore spectacles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brillinger can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, dated 1587. The record mentions a certain Johann Brillinger, a local craftsman known for his skill in crafting eyeglasses and other optical instruments.
In the 17th century, the Brillinger family appears to have spread across various regions of Germany, with records showing members of the family residing in cities such as Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt. One notable individual from this period was Hans Brillinger (1623-1689), a renowned glass blower and lens maker from the city of Augsburg.
As the name Brillinger grew in prominence, it began to appear in historical documents and records across Europe. In the 18th century, a reference to a certain Wilhelm Brillinger (1712-1782) can be found in the archives of the University of Heidelberg, where he served as a professor of mathematics and optics.
During the 19th century, the Brillinger family continued to flourish, with members pursuing various professions and trades. One notable figure from this era was Friedrich Brillinger (1834-1901), a German engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery.
Another individual of note was Marie Brillinger (1871-1947), a German artist and sculptor whose works were exhibited in several prestigious galleries across Europe during the early 20th century.
While the Brillinger surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the early modern period in Germany, where it was associated with the eyeglasses trade and optical professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brillinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Brillinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Brillinger 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 Brillinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brillinger
Brillinger 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-11 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 10,499 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 Brillinger 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 | #141,140 | #151,639 | -7.4% |
| Count | 118 | 107 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brillinger bearers went from 118 to 107 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 10,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #151,639.
FAQ
Brillinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brillinger?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Brillinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Brillinger?
Brillinger ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Brillinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Brillinger.
Has Brillinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brillinger went from 118 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Brillinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brillinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Brillinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brillinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Brillinger (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 Brillinger mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker of brills or horse harnesses. 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 Brillinger (0.04 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 surname Brillinger?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.