Find out how popular the last name Brolin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Brolin.

Brolin, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Brolin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brolin in America

Brolin is the 59470th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brolin surname appeared 340 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brolin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brolin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Brolin

The surname Brolin originated in Sweden during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse words "bro" meaning bridge and "linn" meaning shelter or dwelling, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name may have resided near a bridge or shelter.

The name Brolin can be traced back to the 15th century in Scandinavia, where it was initially spelled as "Brolinn" or "Brolindh." Some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname are found in Swedish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries, primarily in the regions of Dalarna and Värmland.

One notable historical reference to the name Brolin is found in the Swedish Genealogical Handbook from the 18th century, which mentions a family with this surname residing in the town of Gävle. The handbook also suggests that the name may have been derived from a specific location or farm called "Brolin."

The earliest known bearer of the surname Brolin was Lars Brolin, born in 1583 in Dalarna, Sweden. Another notable figure was Johan Brolin, a Swedish merchant and ship owner who lived in the 17th century and was involved in the lucrative trade between Sweden and the Netherlands.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Brolin was Carl Brolin (1861-1925), a Swedish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits. He was born in Gävle and studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts.

Another noteworthy person with this surname was Nils Brolin (1890-1971), a Swedish writer and journalist who worked for several newspapers and published numerous books, including novels and short stories.

In the 20th century, the name Brolin gained international recognition with the American actor James Brolin (born 1940), known for his roles in films such as "Westworld," "Catch Me If You Can," and "Traffic." He is the father of the actor Josh Brolin (born 1968), who has starred in movies like "No Country for Old Men," "Milk," and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Additionally, Peter Brolin (born 1957) is a Swedish singer and songwriter who has achieved success in his home country, particularly with his album "En liten bit av evigheten" released in 1983.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brolin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Brolin.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brolin was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Brolin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Brolin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brolin, please contact us.

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