2000
#2,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,740
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.46
Uncommon Last name
Brito
A surname of Portuguese origin referring to someone who lived near heather or heathland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,338 Americans carry the last name Brito. That puts it at #1,584 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,527 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brito 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Brito with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,527
Census rank
#1,584
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,096 bearers of the surname Brito in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1584th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brito, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brito
The surname Brito has its origins in Portugal, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Latin word "brittus," meaning "Briton," and is believed to have been initially used as a nickname for someone who had come from Britain or had British ancestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brito can be found in a 12th-century document from the Portuguese town of Coimbra, where a nobleman named Fernão Brito is mentioned. This document suggests that the name was already in use among the Portuguese nobility at that time.
Another notable early reference to the name Brito comes from the 14th century, when a Portuguese navigator and explorer named João Brito participated in several expeditions along the West African coast. His voyages helped expand Portuguese knowledge of the region and paved the way for future colonial endeavors.
In the 15th century, the surname Brito gained prominence through the exploits of Nuno Brito, a Portuguese military commander who played a significant role in the conquest of Ceuta from the Moors in 1415. His bravery and leadership during this campaign earned him recognition and cemented the name's association with military valor.
During the 16th century, the Brito family produced several notable figures, including Pedro de Brito e Nicote (1485-1556), a Portuguese explorer and diplomat who served as ambassador to the Kingdom of Kongo, and Bernardo Brito (1569-1617), a Jesuit priest and historian who wrote extensively on Portuguese history and culture.
Other prominent individuals bearing the surname Brito include Manuel de Brito Alão (1630-1706), a Portuguese jurist and diplomat who served as ambassador to France, and José Joaquim Rodrigues de Brito (1753-1813), a Brazilian writer and journalist who played a significant role in the country's literary and political circles during the colonial era.
Throughout its history, the surname Brito has been associated with various place names and geographical locations, such as Brito in Portugal, Brito in Spain, and several towns and villages in Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries. This reflects the widespread distribution of the name across the former Portuguese empire.
While the surname Brito has its roots in Portugal, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. Today, it can be found in many countries with historical ties to Portugal, as well as in regions with significant Portuguese immigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brito
Among Census respondents with the surname Brito, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Brito 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 Brito surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.4% · 18,642
- White10.9% · 2,399
- Black or African American3.0% · 658
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 183
- Two or more races0.8% · 177
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brito
Brito 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
#1,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,007
+6,267 bearers (+42.5%)
Per 100,000 7.12
Rank movement Up 551 places
2020
#1,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,096
+1,089 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 7.39
Rank movement Up 127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,262 | 14,740 | 5.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,711 | 21,007 | 7.12 | +6,267 bearers (+42.5%) | Up 551 places |
| 2020 | #1,584 | 22,096 | 7.39 | +1,089 bearers (+5.2%) | Up 127 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 Brito 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 | #1,711 | #1,584 | 7.4% |
| Count | 21,007 | 22,096 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 7.12 | 7.39 | 3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brito bearers went from 21,007 to 22,096 (+5.2% change). The surname moved up 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,711 to #1,584.
FAQ
Brito surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brito?
Name Census estimates that about 25,338 living Americans carry the surname Brito. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,527 residents.
How common is Brito?
Brito ranks #1,584 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,096 people with the surname Brito. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,338), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Brito.
Has Brito become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brito went from 21,007 recorded bearers to 22,096. That is an increase of 1,089 (+5.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,711 to #1,584.
What does the Census say about the background of Brito?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brito, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Black (3.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Brito in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (18,642 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brito appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.4%), White (10.9%), Black (3.0%). 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 Brito (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 Brito mean?
A surname of Portuguese origin referring to someone who lived near heather or heathland. 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 Brito (7.39 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 Brito?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.