2000
#9,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,003
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Brinkerhoff
A German habitational surname derived from places named Brinkerhof, meaning "a farm by the edge of a forest."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,679 Americans carry the last name Brinkerhoff. That puts it at #9,664 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,165 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brinkerhoff 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
3.7K
1 in 93,165
Census rank
#9,664
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,208 bearers of the surname Brinkerhoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9664th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brinkerhoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brinkerhoff
The surname Brinkerhoff has its origins in the Netherlands, specifically in the Dutch provinces of South Holland and Utrecht. The name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, likely between the 12th and 15th centuries. It is derived from the Dutch words "brinker" meaning "field" or "meadow," and "hoff" meaning "court" or "farm." Together, the name suggests a connection to a farmstead or a court located near a field or meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dutch archives from the 16th century, where it appears as "Brinckerhoeff." This spelling variation highlights the common practice of surname variations during that time period, reflecting regional dialects and individual preferences.
The name Brinkerhoff is closely tied to the Dutch settlement of New Netherland, which encompassed parts of present-day New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. In the 17th century, several members of the Brinkerhoff family immigrated to the Dutch colony, establishing themselves as prominent figures in the region.
Hendrick Brinkerhoff, born around 1620 in the Netherlands, is considered one of the earliest known bearers of the surname in the New World. He arrived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in the 1640s and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Another notable figure is Joris Remsen Brinkerhoff, born in 1640 in Flatlands, New Netherland (now part of Brooklyn, New York). He played a significant role in the early Dutch community and served as a magistrate and representative in the local government.
In the 18th century, the Brinkerhoff family continued to establish themselves in various parts of colonial America. One prominent individual was Jacobus Brinkerhoff, born in 1733 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. He served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
The name Brinkerhoff has also been associated with several place names in the United States, such as Brinkerhoff Creek in New York and Brinkerhoff Lane in New Jersey, reflecting the family's historical presence in these areas.
Throughout history, the Brinkerhoff surname has been carried by numerous individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields, including politics, military service, and entrepreneurship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brinkerhoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Brinkerhoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Brinkerhoff 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 Brinkerhoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,941
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 130
- Two or more races3.1% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
- Black or African American0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brinkerhoff
Brinkerhoff 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
#9,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,280
+277 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Up 48 places
2020
#9,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,208
-72 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 197 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,909 | 3,003 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,861 | 3,280 | 1.11 | +277 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 48 places |
| 2020 | #9,664 | 3,208 | 1.07 | -72 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 197 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 Brinkerhoff 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 | #9,861 | #9,664 | 2.0% |
| Count | 3,280 | 3,208 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.07 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brinkerhoff bearers went from 3,280 to 3,208 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 197 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,861 to #9,664.
FAQ
Brinkerhoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brinkerhoff?
Name Census estimates that about 3,679 living Americans carry the surname Brinkerhoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,165 residents.
How common is Brinkerhoff?
Brinkerhoff ranks #9,664 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,208 people with the surname Brinkerhoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,679), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Brinkerhoff.
Has Brinkerhoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brinkerhoff went from 3,280 recorded bearers to 3,208. That is a decrease of 72 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,861 to #9,664.
What does the Census say about the background of Brinkerhoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brinkerhoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Brinkerhoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brinkerhoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Brinkerhoff (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 Brinkerhoff mean?
A German habitational surname derived from places named Brinkerhof, meaning "a farm by the edge of a forest." 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 Brinkerhoff (1.07 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 Brinkerhoff?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.