2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Broffman
A variant spelling of the German surname Broffmann denoting someone from the town of Broffmuhl.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Broffman. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Broffman 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Broffman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Broffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Broffman
The surname "BROFFMAN" is believed to have originated in Germany during the late medieval period, approximately between the 12th and 15th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "bro" meaning "brother" and "mann" meaning "man," potentially referring to a member of a religious brotherhood or a close familial relationship.
While the exact origins of the name are somewhat obscure, there are records of variations of the spelling, such as "Broffmann" and "Brofman," appearing in various historical documents from the region. One of the earliest known references is found in a manuscript from the city of Augsburg, dated to the late 13th century, which mentions a certain "Hans Broffmann" as a merchant and landowner.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Europe, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in areas of present-day Poland and the Czech Republic. One notable individual from this period was Johann Broffman (1516-1587), a Lutheran theologian and writer who published several influential works on religious doctrine.
As the centuries progressed, the name continued to be found in various regions of Germany, with some individuals achieving notable status. In the 18th century, Friedrich Broffman (1724-1798) was a respected composer and musician who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) in the court of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Broffman (1803-1879), a German politician and lawyer who played a significant role in the unification efforts of the German states in the mid-19th century. He served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament and was a vocal advocate for liberal reforms.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the name also began to appear in various parts of Eastern Europe, likely due to migration and displacement caused by conflicts and political upheavals. One such individual was Anatoly Broffman (1878-1942), a Russian-born artist and sculptor who gained recognition for his avant-garde works and was a member of the influential "Jack of Diamonds" artistic group.
It is important to note that while these examples provide insights into the historical presence of the surname "BROFFMAN," the name's origins and evolution may have followed different paths in different regions, and there may be variations in its meaning and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Broffman
Among Census respondents with the surname Broffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Broffman 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 Broffman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 105
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Broffman
Broffman 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-6 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,932 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-15 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,734 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 12,932 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 14,734 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 Broffman 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 | #134,712 | #149,446 | -10.9% |
| Count | 125 | 110 | -12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Broffman bearers went from 125 to 110 (-12.0% change). The surname moved down 14,734 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #149,446.
FAQ
Broffman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Broffman?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Broffman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Broffman?
Broffman ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Broffman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Broffman.
Has Broffman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Broffman went from 125 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Broffman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Broffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Broffman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Broffman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Broffman (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 Broffman mean?
A variant spelling of the German surname Broffmann denoting someone from the town of Broffmuhl. 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 Broffman (0.04 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 Broffman?
Find out how many people are called Broffman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.