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

Broadbent, 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 Broadbent surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Broadbent in America

Broadbent is the 9066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Broadbent surname appeared 3,605 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Broadbent.

We can also compare 2010 data for Broadbent 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 Broadbent

The surname BROADBENT is of English origin, derived from a combination of the Old English words 'brad' meaning broad and 'bene' meaning bent grass or coarse grass. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive name referring to someone who lived near a broad expanse of grassland or a broad valley.

The earliest recorded instance of the BROADBENT surname dates back to the 13th century in Lancashire, England. In 1292, a Robert de Bradebent was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire. This spelling variation highlights the connection to the Old English roots of the name.

During the 14th century, the BROADBENT surname appeared in various records across Yorkshire and Lancashire. For instance, in 1379, a John de Brodebent was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns. The name was also found in the Wakefield Court Rolls of 1317, which mentioned a William de Brodebent.

The BROADBENT surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Thomas Broadbent (1638-1688), an English Nonconformist minister and writer who served as the chaplain to the Duke of Albemarle. Another prominent bearer of the name was John Broadbent (1751-1835), a British engineer and inventor who patented an early design for a self-righting lifeboat.

In the realm of literature, the BROADBENT name gained recognition through the works of George Broadbent (1838-1922), an English novelist and playwright. His most well-known work is the novel "The Intrusion of Peggy," published in 1905.

The BROADBENT surname has also been carried by several notable athletes. One example is Derek Broadbent (1933-2003), an English footballer who played for Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday in the 1950s and 1960s. Another is Tom Broadbent (born 1989), an English rugby league player who has represented the England national team.

While the BROADBENT surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to countries with strong British colonial ties. However, the majority of historical records and notable individuals bearing this name can be traced back to its English roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Broadbent

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

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

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

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