2000
#13,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,083
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Briner
An occupational surname for a person who produces or sells salt, derived from German "Brüner" meaning "saltmaker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,105 Americans carry the last name Briner. That puts it at #15,382 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Briner 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
2.1K
1 in 162,829
Census rank
#15,382
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,836 bearers of the surname Briner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15382nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Briner, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Briner
The surname BRINER is of German origin, emerging in the late 16th century from the region of Swabia, situated in southwestern Germany. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Brinnen," which translates to "burn" or "set on fire," potentially indicating an occupational connection to professions involving fire, such as blacksmithing or charcoal production.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BRINER can be found in the parish records of the village of Biberach an der Riss, located in the Swabian region, dating back to the late 1500s. These records document the presence of a family with the name Briner residing in the area during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name BRINER began to appear in various historical documents across other parts of Germany, including the regions of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. One notable individual bearing this surname was Hans Briner, a prominent woodcarver and sculptor born in 1650 in the town of Memmingen, Bavaria.
As the centuries progressed, the BRINER surname continued to spread throughout German-speaking regions and beyond. In the 18th century, Johann Michael Briner (1722-1791), a renowned Swiss theologian and philosopher, made significant contributions to the fields of ethics and moral philosophy.
During the 19th century, the name BRINER gained recognition in the literary world with the Swiss writer and playwright Johann Jakob Briner (1856-1908), whose works explored themes of rural life and social commentary.
Another notable figure with the surname BRINER was Albert Briner (1888-1967), a Swiss architect and pioneer in the field of modern architecture, who was influential in shaping the architectural landscape of Switzerland during the early 20th century.
It is worth mentioning that while the surname BRINER originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with individuals bearing this name found in countries such as Switzerland, Austria, and even North America, where it was carried by German and Swiss immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Briner
Among Census respondents with the surname Briner, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Briner 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 Briner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 1,629
- Two or more races4.6% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 65
- Black or African American2.0% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Briner
Briner 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
#13,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,295
+212 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 116 places
2020
#15,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,836
-459 bearers (-20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 2,091 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,407 | 2,083 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,291 | 2,295 | 0.78 | +212 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 116 places |
| 2020 | #15,382 | 1,836 | 0.61 | -459 bearers (-20.0%) | Down 2,091 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 Briner 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 | #13,291 | #15,382 | -15.7% |
| Count | 2,295 | 1,836 | -20.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.61 | -21.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Briner bearers went from 2,295 to 1,836 (-20.0% change). The surname moved down 2,091 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,291 to #15,382.
FAQ
Briner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Briner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,105 living Americans carry the surname Briner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,829 residents.
How common is Briner?
Briner ranks #15,382 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,836 people with the surname Briner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Briner.
Has Briner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Briner went from 2,295 recorded bearers to 1,836. That is a decrease of 459 (-20.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,291 to #15,382.
What does the Census say about the background of Briner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Briner, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Briner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (1,629 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Briner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Briner (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 Briner mean?
An occupational surname for a person who produces or sells salt, derived from German "Brüner" meaning "saltmaker." 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 Briner (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Briner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.