2000
#9,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Brockington
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "estate of Brocca's people" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,758 Americans carry the last name Brockington. That puts it at #9,491 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brockington 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 Brockington with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 91,207
Census rank
#9,491
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,277 bearers of the surname Brockington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9491st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brockington, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brockington
The surname Brockington is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "broc," meaning a small stream or brook, and "ing," signifying a meadow or enclosure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brochintone," referring to a settlement in Staffordshire. This entry suggests that the name may have originated as a place name, possibly describing a locality situated near a small brook or stream.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, such as "Brockyngton," "Brokinton," and "Brokynton." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation that were common in those times.
The surname Brockington has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir John Brockington (c. 1520-1593), a prominent English judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another significant bearer of the name was Edward Brockington (1637-1708), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and played a crucial role in the college's administration.
In the literary realm, Dorothy Brockington (1888-1968) was a British author and playwright who gained recognition for her novels and plays set in the early 20th century. Her works often explored themes of social class and human relationships.
Sir Leonard Brockington (1888-1966), a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, and civil servant, made significant contributions to his country's foreign policy during his tenure as the Undersecretary of State for External Affairs from 1940 to 1946.
More recently, Jonathan Brockington (1942-2022) was a renowned British actor and voice artist, known for his roles in television series and his work as a voice-over artist for audiobooks and documentaries.
While the surname Brockington is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history rooted in the medieval period, with its origins possibly tied to a specific location near a small stream or brook. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have left their mark in various fields, including law, academia, literature, diplomacy, and the performing arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brockington
Among Census respondents with the surname Brockington, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Brockington 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 Brockington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.0% · 2,622
- White12.1% · 396
- Two or more races4.8% · 156
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 84
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brockington
Brockington 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
#9,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,479
+288 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 15 places
2020
#9,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,277
-202 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 141 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,365 | 3,191 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,350 | 3,479 | 1.18 | +288 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 15 places |
| 2020 | #9,491 | 3,277 | 1.10 | -202 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 141 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 Brockington 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 | #9,350 | #9,491 | -1.5% |
| Count | 3,479 | 3,277 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.10 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brockington bearers went from 3,479 to 3,277 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 141 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,350 to #9,491.
FAQ
Brockington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brockington?
Name Census estimates that about 3,758 living Americans carry the surname Brockington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,207 residents.
How common is Brockington?
Brockington ranks #9,491 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,277 people with the surname Brockington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,758), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Brockington.
Has Brockington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brockington went from 3,479 recorded bearers to 3,277. That is a decrease of 202 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,350 to #9,491.
What does the Census say about the background of Brockington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brockington, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are White (12.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Brockington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (2,622 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brockington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.0%), White (12.1%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Brockington (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 Brockington mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "estate of Brocca's people" in Old English. 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 Brockington (1.10 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 Brockington?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.