2000
#3,068
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,837
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.02
Uncommon Last name
Brockman
A toponymic surname derived from places named Brockman, likely referring to someone living near a brook or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,143 Americans carry the last name Brockman. That puts it at #3,332 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,226 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brockman 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 Brockman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,226
Census rank
#3,332
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,589 bearers of the surname Brockman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3332nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brockman
Among Census respondents with the surname Brockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Brockman 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 Brockman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 8,938
- Black or African American7.1% · 756
- Two or more races4.1% · 434
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 330
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 81
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brockman
Brockman 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
#3,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,204
+367 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 3.80
Rank movement Down 155 places
2020
#3,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,589
-615 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 3.54
Rank movement Down 109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,068 | 10,837 | 4.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,223 | 11,204 | 3.80 | +367 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 155 places |
| 2020 | #3,332 | 10,589 | 3.54 | -615 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 109 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 Brockman 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 | #3,223 | #3,332 | -3.4% |
| Count | 11,204 | 10,589 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.80 | 3.54 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brockman bearers went from 11,204 to 10,589 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 109 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,223 to #3,332.
FAQ
Brockman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brockman?
Name Census estimates that about 12,143 living Americans carry the surname Brockman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,226 residents.
How common is Brockman?
Brockman ranks #3,332 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,589 people with the surname Brockman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,143), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Brockman.
Has Brockman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brockman went from 11,204 recorded bearers to 10,589. That is a decrease of 615 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,223 to #3,332.
What does the Census say about the background of Brockman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brockman, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Brockman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (8,938 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brockman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Black (7.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Brockman (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 Brockman mean?
A toponymic surname derived from places named Brockman, likely referring to someone living near a brook or stream. 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 Brockman (3.54 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 are called Brockman?
Want to know how common the surname Brockman is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.