2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brimacomb
A locational surname referring to someone from Brimicombe, a place in Devon, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Brimacomb. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brimacomb 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Brimacomb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brimacomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brimacomb
The surname BRIMACOMB is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has changed significantly over time. The prefix "Brim-" may be related to the Old English word "brimman," meaning "to rage" or "to roar," possibly referring to a location near a turbulent river or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BRIMACOMB can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century, where a certain William de Brimacombe is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in the county of Gloucestershire or its surrounding areas.
In the 13th century, the BRIMACOMB name appeared in various records across different counties in England. For example, a John de Brimacomb was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272, while a Robert de Brimacombe was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.
During the 14th century, the name BRIMACOMB continued to be documented in various parts of England. One notable individual from this period was Sir John Brimacomb, a knight who served in the Hundred Years' War under King Edward III. He participated in several campaigns against the French between 1337 and 1360.
In the 15th century, the BRIMACOMB family appeared to have established a strong presence in the county of Devon. Records from this time show variations in the spelling, such as Brymcombe, Brymecombe, and Brymycombe. One notable figure from this era was Thomas Brimacomb, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Barnstaple in the late 1400s.
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, the BRIMACOMB name continued to be found across various parts of England, with concentrations in Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. Several members of the family were recorded as holding positions of local importance, such as justices of the peace and members of the gentry.
One notable individual from the 17th century was Sir Edward Brimacomb, a member of Parliament who represented the borough of Barnstaple in the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and supported King Charles I during the conflict.
As the centuries progressed, the BRIMACOMB surname continued to be present in various regions of England, with some members of the family emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brimacomb
Among Census respondents with the surname Brimacomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Brimacomb 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 Brimacomb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native7.6% · 8
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brimacomb
Brimacomb 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 6,788 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 Brimacomb 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 | #146,201 | #152,989 | -4.6% |
| Count | 113 | 105 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brimacomb bearers went from 113 to 105 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 6,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #152,989.
FAQ
Brimacomb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brimacomb?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Brimacomb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Brimacomb?
Brimacomb ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Brimacomb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Brimacomb.
Has Brimacomb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brimacomb went from 113 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Brimacomb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brimacomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Brimacomb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brimacomb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (7.6%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Brimacomb (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 Brimacomb mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Brimicombe, a place in Devon, England. 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 Brimacomb (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 share the surname Brimacomb?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.