2000
#5,057
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,365
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.36
Rare Last name
Brodie
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "muddy place" or "ditch," possibly referring to a riverbank.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,891 Americans carry the last name Brodie. That puts it at #5,585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,739 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brodie 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 Brodie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.9K
1 in 49,739
Census rank
#5,585
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,009 bearers of the surname Brodie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brodie, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brodie
The surname Brodie originated in Scotland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "broth" meaning "ditch" or "mire" and "aite" meaning "place," suggesting a connection to a particular location or geographic feature. The name is thought to have originated in the village of Brodie, located near Forres in Morayshire, Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brodie can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Brod" in these rolls, suggesting an earlier spelling variation.
In the 14th century, the Brodies emerged as a prominent family in the Scottish Highlands, with their ancestral lands centered around the village of Brodie. Notable individuals from this time period include Alexander Brodie, who was granted a charter for the lands of Brodie in 1311, and Thomas Brodie, who served as Constable of Nairn Castle in the late 14th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Brodie family played an important role in the religious and political affairs of Scotland. Alexander Brodie (1617-1680) was a prominent Presbyterian minister and author, known for his support of the National Covenant and his opposition to the policies of King Charles I. His son, James Brodie (1637-1708), was a respected lawyer and author who served as Lord Lyon King of Arms for Scotland.
Other notable individuals with the surname Brodie include Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie (1783-1862), an English physiologist and surgeon who made significant contributions to the field of orthopedics, and John Brodie (1913-1999), a Canadian actor and playwright known for his work in both English and French theater.
The name Brodie has also been associated with several place names throughout Scotland, such as the villages of Brodie and Brodiesord, as well as the Brodick Castle on the Isle of Arran. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brodie
Among Census respondents with the surname Brodie, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Brodie 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 Brodie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.1% · 3,849
- Black or African American25.5% · 1,533
- Two or more races4.7% · 281
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 248
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 46
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brodie
Brodie 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
#5,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,585
+220 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 2.23
Rank movement Down 231 places
2020
#5,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,009
-576 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Down 297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,057 | 6,365 | 2.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,288 | 6,585 | 2.23 | +220 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 231 places |
| 2020 | #5,585 | 6,009 | 2.01 | -576 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 297 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 Brodie 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 | #5,288 | #5,585 | -5.6% |
| Count | 6,585 | 6,009 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.23 | 2.01 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brodie bearers went from 6,585 to 6,009 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 297 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,288 to #5,585.
FAQ
Brodie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brodie?
Name Census estimates that about 6,891 living Americans carry the surname Brodie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,739 residents.
How common is Brodie?
Brodie ranks #5,585 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,009 people with the surname Brodie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,891), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Brodie.
Has Brodie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brodie went from 6,585 recorded bearers to 6,009. That is a decrease of 576 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,288 to #5,585.
What does the Census say about the background of Brodie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brodie, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Brodie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.1% (3,849 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brodie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.1%), Black (25.5%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Brodie (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 Brodie mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "muddy place" or "ditch," possibly referring to a riverbank. 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 Brodie (2.01 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 Brodie?
You can see how common the surname Brodie is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.