2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Broadbridge
A topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a broad bridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Broadbridge. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Broadbridge 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 Broadbridge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Broadbridge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Broadbridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Broadbridge
The surname Broadbridge is of English origin, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "brad" meaning broad and "brycg" meaning bridge, referring to someone who lived near a wide bridge or a location with a broad bridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where it appears as "Bradebrigge." This suggests that the name was established in the West Midlands region of England during the medieval period.
In the 14th century, variations of the spelling included "Brodebrugge" and "Brodebrigge," as found in tax records from Oxfordshire and Somerset respectively. These regional variations highlight the name's widespread use across different parts of England.
The Broadbridge surname is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, the comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. However, it is possible that the name emerged from place names or descriptive references to local landmarks in the centuries following the Norman Conquest.
Notable individuals with the surname Broadbridge include William Broadbridge (1542-1603), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the late 16th century. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Broadbridge (1617-1682), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and almshouses in London.
In the 18th century, John Broadbridge (1720-1795) was a renowned clockmaker and inventor from London, known for his innovative timepiece designs. His contemporary, Sarah Broadbridge (1738-1814), was a notable writer and poet whose works were published in various literary journals of the time.
During the Victorian era, Thomas Henry Broadbridge (1821-1899) was a celebrated architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum.
These examples highlight the diverse contributions of individuals bearing the Broadbridge surname throughout English history, spanning various fields such as politics, business, literature, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Broadbridge
Among Census respondents with the surname Broadbridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Broadbridge 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 Broadbridge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Broadbridge
Broadbridge 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,164 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 12,164 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,004 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 Broadbridge 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 | #146,201 | #150,205 | -2.7% |
| Count | 113 | 109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Broadbridge bearers went from 113 to 109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,205.
FAQ
Broadbridge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Broadbridge?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Broadbridge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Broadbridge?
Broadbridge ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Broadbridge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Broadbridge.
Has Broadbridge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Broadbridge went from 113 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Broadbridge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Broadbridge, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Broadbridge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Broadbridge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Broadbridge (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 Broadbridge mean?
A topographic surname denoting someone who lived near a broad bridge. 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 Broadbridge (0.04 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 have the last name Broadbridge?
See how many people have the surname Broadbridge on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.