2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brindel
A German Surname denoting someone who lived by a bridge or causeway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Brindel. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brindel 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Brindel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brindel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brindel
The surname Brindel has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "brinnel," which referred to a small stream or brook. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near a body of water or were associated with water-related activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Brindel surname can be found in the records of the town of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany, from the year 1287. The name was spelled "Brindele" in these ancient documents, indicating that the spelling has evolved over time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Brindel (1425-1494) was recorded as a respected craftsman and guild member in the city of Nuremberg. His contribution to the local economy and craftsmanship traditions of the time is well-documented in historical archives.
During the 16th century, the Brindel surname appeared in various regions of Germany, including the towns of Augsburg and Würzburg. One notable individual from this period was Johannes Brindel (1567-1638), a scholar and writer who published several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 17th century, the Brindel family spread to other parts of Europe, with records indicating their presence in the Netherlands and parts of present-day Poland. A prominent figure was Pieter Brindel (1621-1678), a Dutch merchant and trader who established successful business ventures in Amsterdam.
As the centuries progressed, the Brindel surname continued to be found across various regions of Germany, with some bearers migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. Notable individuals include Wilhelm Brindel (1785-1862), a German philosopher and educator, and Maximilian Brindel (1892-1964), a German-American artist and sculptor.
Throughout its history, the Brindel surname has maintained its connection to its Germanic roots and the possibility of its association with water-related origins. While the specific details of its earliest bearers remain obscure, the enduring presence of this name across centuries and regions attests to its significance in the tapestry of European history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brindel
Among Census respondents with the surname Brindel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Brindel 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 Brindel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 105
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brindel
Brindel 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,742 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 10,742 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,649 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 Brindel 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 | #142,108 | #145,757 | -2.6% |
| Count | 117 | 115 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brindel bearers went from 117 to 115 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #145,757.
FAQ
Brindel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brindel?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Brindel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Brindel?
Brindel ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Brindel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Brindel.
Has Brindel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brindel went from 117 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Brindel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brindel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Brindel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brindel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Brindel (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 Brindel mean?
A German Surname denoting someone who lived by a bridge or causeway. 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 Brindel (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 Brindel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.