2000
#7,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,910
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Brodeur
A French occupational surname referring to an embroiderer or someone who adorns fabric with needlework.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,392 Americans carry the last name Brodeur. That puts it at #8,279 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,041 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brodeur 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.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,041
Census rank
#8,279
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,830 bearers of the surname Brodeur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8279th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brodeur, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brodeur
The surname BRODEUR has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It is believed to have originated in the late Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "brodeur," meaning "embroiderer" or "embroiderer of fabrics."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BRODEUR can be found in the ancient tax records of Normandy, known as the "Rôles de la Taille." These records date back to the 14th century and mention several individuals with the surname, suggesting that it was already well-established in the region at that time.
The name BRODEUR is thought to have initially referred to individuals who worked as professional embroiderers, a respected and skilled craft during the Middle Ages. As the surname spread across France, it is likely that some bearers of the name were not necessarily embroiderers themselves but were descendants of those who practiced the trade.
In the 16th century, the surname BRODEUR appeared in the records of the city of Rouen, a major center of textile production and trade in Normandy. Several BRODEUR families were documented as residents of the city during this period, indicating that the name had become well-established in the region.
One notable figure with the surname BRODEUR was Jean-Baptiste Brodeur (1668-1737), a French-Canadian colonist and fur trader. He was born in Normandy and emigrated to New France (present-day Quebec) in the late 17th century, where he became a prominent member of the community.
Another individual of note was François Brodeur (1673-1741), a French-Canadian farmer and landowner who settled in the Quebec region. His descendants went on to establish several influential families in the area, contributing to the spread of the surname in North America.
In the 19th century, Pierre Brodeur (1801-1879) was a prominent Quebec politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and played a significant role in the political and legal affairs of the region during his lifetime.
Martin Brodeur (born 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for over two decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
Céline Brodeur (born 1971) is a Canadian actress and filmmaker. She has received critical acclaim for her work in both English and French-language productions, including her role in the 2006 film "Silk."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brodeur
Among Census respondents with the surname Brodeur, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Brodeur 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 Brodeur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 3,510
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 129
- Two or more races3.4% · 129
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 33
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brodeur
Brodeur 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
#8,178
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,053
+143 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 324 places
2020
#8,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,830
-223 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,854 | 3,910 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,178 | 4,053 | 1.37 | +143 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 324 places |
| 2020 | #8,279 | 3,830 | 1.28 | -223 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 101 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 Brodeur 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 | #8,178 | #8,279 | -1.2% |
| Count | 4,053 | 3,830 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.28 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brodeur bearers went from 4,053 to 3,830 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,178 to #8,279.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Brodeur
FAQ
Brodeur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brodeur?
Name Census estimates that about 4,392 living Americans carry the surname Brodeur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,041 residents.
How common is Brodeur?
Brodeur ranks #8,279 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 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 3,830 people with the surname Brodeur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,392), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 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 Brodeur.
Has Brodeur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brodeur went from 4,053 recorded bearers to 3,830. That is a decrease of 223 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,178 to #8,279.
What does the Census say about the background of Brodeur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brodeur, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Brodeur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (3,510 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brodeur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Brodeur (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 Brodeur mean?
A French occupational surname referring to an embroiderer or someone who adorns fabric with needlework. 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 Brodeur (1.28 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 Brodeur?
You can see how many people have the last name Brodeur on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.