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

Bronk, 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 Bronk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bronk in America

Bronk is the 21470th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bronk surname appeared 1,217 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 Bronk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bronk 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 Bronk

The surname Bronk is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the province of Brabant, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Dutch word "bronk," which means "muddy place" or "swampy area." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or worked in such an environment.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Bronk can be traced back to the 15th century in the town of Breda, located in the Brabant region. In 1472, a man named Jan van den Bronk was mentioned in a local census record, indicating that the name was already established in the area at that time.

Throughout the centuries, various spellings of the name have been documented, such as Bronck, Bronckx, and Broncke. These variations likely emerged due to local dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices during that period.

One notable figure associated with the name Bronk is Jonas Bronck, a Swedish-born settler who arrived in New Netherland (present-day New York) in the early 17th century. He acquired a substantial land grant along the Bronx River, which later became known as Bronck's Land or Bronx Land. This area eventually gave its name to the borough of the Bronx in New York City.

Another significant individual with the Bronk surname was Willem Bronk (1918-1999), an American poet and academic who taught at several prestigious institutions, including the University of Connecticut and Portland State University. His poetic works received critical acclaim, and he was recognized with numerous awards and honors throughout his career.

In the realm of sports, Clarence "Bud" Bronk (1918-1983) was a professional baseball player who played for the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox in the 1940s. He spent several seasons in the major leagues and was known for his strong defensive skills as an outfielder.

The Bronk surname can also be found in other parts of Europe, particularly in Germany and Belgium, where it is believed to have been introduced through migration or trade routes. One notable bearer of the name from Germany was Johann Bronk (1644-1706), a Lutheran theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Jena.

Finally, the name Bronk has been associated with the field of science through the work of Detlev W. Bronk (1897-1975), an American biophysicist and administrator. He served as the president of Johns Hopkins University and later as the president of the National Academy of Sciences, contributing significantly to the advancement of scientific research and education.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bronk

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

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 Bronk 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 Bronk 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 Bronk was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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