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

Brochu, 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 Brochu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brochu in America

Brochu is the 14587th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brochu surname appeared 2,041 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 Brochu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brochu 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 Brochu

The surname Brochu originated in France, specifically in the region of Anjou. It can be traced back to the early 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "broche," which means "a pointed stick" or "a spit for roasting." It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who worked with spits or skewers, possibly a cook or a butcher.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brochu can be found in a charter from the Abbey of Saint-Aubin d'Angers, dated 1129. In this document, a certain Radulfus Brochu is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use in the region of Anjou during that time period.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appears in various historical records, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Brocheu, Brocheu, and Brochaux. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling during that era.

In the 16th century, the name Brochu appeared in the records of the parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Angers, where a family by that name resided. One notable member of this family was Jean Brochu (1542-1612), a respected merchant and landowner.

Another prominent individual with the surname Brochu was Pierre Brochu (1678-1744), a French soldier and explorer who accompanied the famous explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye on his expeditions in North America. Brochu played a crucial role in the exploration and mapping of the vast territories west of the Great Lakes.

In the 18th century, the name Brochu became more widely spread across France, with families bearing the name living in various regions, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region around Paris. One notable figure from this period was Antoine Brochu (1741-1815), a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Paris.

As the centuries passed, the Brochu surname continued to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions. Some examples include the writer and journalist Émile Brochu (1832-1905), the politician and lawyer Joseph-Édouard Brochu (1867-1937), and the renowned sculptor Armand Brochu (1892-1965), known for his monumental works in Quebec.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brochu

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

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

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

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