2000
#8,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,395
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Brokaw
A surname of German origin, derived from a place name meaning "broken meadow" or "marshy land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,870 Americans carry the last name Brokaw. That puts it at #9,259 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,567 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brokaw 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
3.9K
1 in 88,567
Census rank
#9,259
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,375 bearers of the surname Brokaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9259th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brokaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brokaw
The surname BROKAW is of German origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have originated from the German word "brocken," which means "broken" or "crumbled." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a broken or crumbled area, or perhaps worked in a profession related to breaking or crumbling materials.
One of the earliest known records of the BROKAW surname can be found in the archives of the town of Brokaw, located in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The town itself is named after a family that resided there in the late 16th century, indicating that the surname was already well-established by that time.
In the 17th century, the BROKAW name began to spread beyond Germany as families migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable figure from this period was Johannes BROKAW, a German immigrant who settled in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York) in the mid-1600s.
As the BROKAW name continued to disperse, it also underwent various spelling variations, including BROKAU, BROCAW, and BROKHAW. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual families or record keepers.
Throughout history, several individuals with the BROKAW surname have achieved notable recognition. One such figure was William BROKAW (1768-1848), an American merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of New York City's real estate market in the early 19th century.
Another prominent BROKAW was Isaac Valleau BROKAW (1829-1910), a successful businessman and philanthropist from New York. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Brokaw Memorial Hospital, which provided medical care to the underprivileged in the city.
In more recent times, the BROKAW name gained widespread recognition through Tom BROKAW (born 1940), the acclaimed American journalist and author. As the longtime anchor of the NBC Nightly News, he became one of the most recognizable faces in American television news.
Other notable individuals with the BROKAW surname include Charles Edward BROKAW (1903-1978), an American businessman and philanthropist, and Courtney BROKAW (born 1971), a fashion model and socialite.
Throughout its history, the BROKAW surname has maintained a strong presence, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of the families who have carried it across generations and continents. While its origins may be traced back to a simple description of a broken or crumbled area, the name has come to represent a rich tapestry of stories and achievements woven into the fabric of various cultures and communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brokaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Brokaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Brokaw 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 Brokaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 3,083
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 109
- Two or more races3.2% · 107
- Black or African American1.3% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brokaw
Brokaw 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
#9,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,523
+128 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 369 places
2020
#9,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,375
-148 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,868 | 3,395 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,237 | 3,523 | 1.19 | +128 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 369 places |
| 2020 | #9,259 | 3,375 | 1.13 | -148 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 22 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 Brokaw 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 | #9,237 | #9,259 | -0.2% |
| Count | 3,523 | 3,375 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.13 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brokaw bearers went from 3,523 to 3,375 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,237 to #9,259.
FAQ
Brokaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brokaw?
Name Census estimates that about 3,870 living Americans carry the surname Brokaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,567 residents.
How common is Brokaw?
Brokaw ranks #9,259 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,375 people with the surname Brokaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,870), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Brokaw.
Has Brokaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brokaw went from 3,523 recorded bearers to 3,375. That is a decrease of 148 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,237 to #9,259.
What does the Census say about the background of Brokaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brokaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Brokaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (3,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brokaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Brokaw (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 Brokaw mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from a place name meaning "broken meadow" or "marshy land." 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 Brokaw (1.13 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 share the surname Brokaw?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.