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

Brim, 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 Brim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brim in America

Brim is the 8808th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brim surname appeared 3,717 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Brim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brim 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 Brim

The surname BRIM has its origins in England, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "brim," meaning the edge or brink of something, often referring to a riverbank or shoreline.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named William Brim is mentioned. This suggests the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Brym, Brymme, and Brymmer, indicating regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These variations likely stemmed from the different dialects spoken across England at the time.

The surname BRIM may have also been associated with certain place names containing the word "brim," such as Brimpton in Berkshire or Brimley in Surrey. It is possible that some individuals took on the surname based on their association with these locations.

One notable figure bearing the BRIM surname was Sir John Brim, a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in the late 15th century, who served during the reign of Edward IV.

During the 16th century, the BRIM surname gained further recognition with the birth of Richard Brim (c. 1515 – c. 1588), an English churchman and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1585 until his death.

In the 17th century, John Brim (1617 – 1690) was a prominent English Puritan minister and author, known for his work "The Mercies of a Covenant God."

Moving into the 18th century, William Brim (1713 – 1787) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Another individual of note was Sir Walter Brim (1792 – 1868), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire.

Throughout its history, the surname BRIM has maintained a presence in England, with various individuals bearing this name making contributions across various fields, from politics and academia to architecture and the military.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brim

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

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

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

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