Brockman last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Brockman

A toponymic surname derived from places named Brockman, likely referring to someone living near a brook or stream.

Brockman, 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 Brockman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brockman in America

Brockman is the 3223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brockman surname appeared 11,204 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Brockman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brockman 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 3223 3068 4.93%
Count 11,204 10,837 3.33%
Proportion per 100k 3.80 4.02 -5.63%

The history of the last name Brockman

The surname Brockman has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "broc" and "mann," which together mean "brook man" or "man living near a brook." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in close proximity to a small stream or brook.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Brockman can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brocmann." This historical record indicates that people with this name were present in various parts of England, particularly in counties such as Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Gloucestershire.

During the 13th century, variations of the name began to emerge, including "Brocman," "Brockeman," and "Brokeman." These spelling variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual record-keepers.

One notable figure bearing the name Brockman was Sir John Brockman, who lived in the 14th century and served as Lord Mayor of London in 1354. Another prominent individual was Sir William Brockman, a member of the English gentry who lived in Kent during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Brockman family established themselves as landowners in Kent, with their ancestral home being Beachborough Manor. This manor was located near the village of Newington, which was formerly known as "Newington next Sittingbourne." The Brockmans were also associated with the nearby village of Borden, formerly spelled as "Brokeman's Borden."

Other notable individuals with the surname Brockman include John Brockman, a British soldier and explorer who was born in 1788 and served in the East India Company. He is known for his explorations of the Himalayas and his writings on the region.

Another figure of note is Ralph Brockman, an American composer and music educator who lived from 1913 to 1996. He is renowned for his contributions to the field of music education and his compositions for band and orchestra.

Throughout history, the surname Brockman has maintained its connection to its English roots, with many families continuing to reside in various regions of the country. While the name may have evolved in its spelling over time, its origins as a descriptive surname related to geographic features have remained consistent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brockman

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

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 Brockman was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 87.09% 9,758
Non-Hispanic Black Only 7.91% 886
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.64% 72
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.52% 58
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.62% 182
Hispanic Origin 2.22% 249

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 Brockman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 87.09% 88.84% -1.99%
Black 7.91% 7.27% 8.43%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.64% 0.50% 24.56%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.52% 0.46% 12.24%
Two or More Races 1.62% 1.48% 9.03%
Hispanic 2.22% 1.45% 41.96%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Brockman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/brockman-surname-popularity/.

"Brockman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/brockman-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Brockman last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/brockman-surname-popularity/.

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