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

Bronson, 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 Bronson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bronson in America

Bronson is the 3215th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bronson surname appeared 11,229 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Bronson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bronson 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 Bronson

The surname Bronson is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the place name Brunson or Bronson, which refers to the 'son of Brun' or the 'son of Brown'. Brun was a common Old English personal name meaning 'brown' or 'dark-complexioned'.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Bronson is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Brunessone'. This suggests that the name had already been established in England prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as 'Bruneson', 'Bron(e)son', and 'Brounson'. These variations in spelling were common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

One notable bearer of the Bronson surname was Sir John Bronson (c. 1472-1534), a member of the English gentry and a prominent landowner in Staffordshire. He served as a member of Parliament and held various positions of authority under King Henry VIII.

Another historical figure was Thomas Bronson (1570-1622), an English Puritan who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636. He is considered one of the founders of the town of Hartford, Connecticut.

In the 17th century, the surname Bronson was also associated with the village of Bronson in Derbyshire, England. This place name likely derived from the same Old English personal name 'Brun'.

Reverend Abraham Bronson (1704-1788) was a notable American clergyman and educator who served as the rector of St. John's Church in Waterbury, Connecticut, for over 50 years.

Another prominent figure was Isaac Bronson (1760-1839), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut.

Throughout history, the Bronson surname has been found in various parts of England, particularly in the Midlands and the northern counties, as well as in the United States, where many bearers of the name immigrated during the colonial era and subsequent waves of migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bronson

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

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

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

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