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

Briscoe, 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 Briscoe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Briscoe in America

Briscoe is the 2629th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Briscoe surname appeared 13,728 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Briscoe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Briscoe 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 Briscoe

The surname Briscoe is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "briscaud" meaning "a thin flat cake or biscuit." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for a baker or a miller in the 12th or 13th century.

In the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled as "Briscon," "Briscot," or "Briscow." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named "Briscon de Mara" is mentioned.

The surname Briscoe is closely associated with the county of Yorkshire in northern England, where it was particularly prevalent in the areas around Leeds, Bradford, and Halifax. The name can also be found in other parts of England, such as Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Briscoe was John Briscoe (1670-1722), an English playwright and poet. He was born in Bedfordshire and is best known for his tragedy "The Gamester," which dealt with the theme of gambling addiction.

Another prominent individual was Sir Benjamin Briscoe (1828-1895), a British engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of steam engines and railways in India during the 19th century.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Briscoe surname was in Virginia, where Richard Briscoe settled in the colony in the 17th century. His descendants included Robert Briscoe (1894-1968), a prominent Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin from 1956 to 1957 and 1961 to 1962.

The Briscoe surname is also associated with several notable places, such as Briscoe County in Texas, named after Andrew Briscoe (1810-1892), a soldier and pioneer who participated in the Texas Revolution.

Other individuals with the surname Briscoe who have made significant contributions throughout history include Walter Briscoe (1876-1962), an American architect known for his work in New York City, and Anita Briscoe (1882-1963), an American author and screenwriter active in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Briscoe

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

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

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

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