2000
#6,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,263
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.95
Rare Last name
Brookshire
A locational surname referring to someone from any of various places called Brookshire, meaning "brook" and "shire."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,732 Americans carry the last name Brookshire. That puts it at #6,530 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,797 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brookshire 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
5.7K
1 in 59,797
Census rank
#6,530
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,999 bearers of the surname Brookshire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6530th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brookshire, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brookshire
The surname Brookshire has its origins in England, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words 'broc,' meaning a small stream or brook, and 'scir,' meaning a shire or county. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a small stream or brook within a particular county or shire.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, which mention a person named Willelmus de Brokesheyr. This spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of the name over time.
During the medieval period, the name was often associated with specific locations, such as Brookshire in Derbyshire or Brookshire in Somerset. These place names likely influenced the development of the surname, as people were often identified by their place of origin or residence.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1574, which mentioned a John Brookshire. This document recorded the transfer of land ownership, indicating that the Brookshire family held land and property during this time.
Notable individuals with the surname Brookshire include:
1. William Brookshire (1615-1688), an English merchant and landowner in Virginia, USA.
2. Thomas Brookshire (1753-1821), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War.
3. Mary Brookshire (1812-1895), an American pioneer and one of the first settlers in Oregon Territory.
4. John Brookshire (1845-1919), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton.
5. James Brookshire (1879-1944), an American businessman and founder of the Brookshire Grocery Company in Texas.
The name Brookshire has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Broxshire, Brooksher, and Brookshyre. These variations reflect the influence of regional dialects and the evolution of language over time.
While the name Brookshire is not as common as some other surnames, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the English landscape and the Anglo-Saxon language. Its enduring presence serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brookshire
Among Census respondents with the surname Brookshire, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Brookshire 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 Brookshire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 4,198
- Black or African American8.1% · 404
- Two or more races3.8% · 191
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 154
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brookshire
Brookshire 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
#6,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,472
+209 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.86
Rank movement Down 227 places
2020
#6,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,999
-473 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Down 285 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,018 | 5,263 | 1.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,245 | 5,472 | 1.86 | +209 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 227 places |
| 2020 | #6,530 | 4,999 | 1.67 | -473 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 285 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 Brookshire 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 | #6,245 | #6,530 | -4.6% |
| Count | 5,472 | 4,999 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.86 | 1.67 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brookshire bearers went from 5,472 to 4,999 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 285 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,245 to #6,530.
FAQ
Brookshire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brookshire?
Name Census estimates that about 5,732 living Americans carry the surname Brookshire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,797 residents.
How common is Brookshire?
Brookshire ranks #6,530 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,999 people with the surname Brookshire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,732), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Brookshire.
Has Brookshire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brookshire went from 5,472 recorded bearers to 4,999. That is a decrease of 473 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,245 to #6,530.
What does the Census say about the background of Brookshire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brookshire, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Brookshire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (4,198 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brookshire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Black (8.1%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Brookshire (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 Brookshire mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of various places called Brookshire, meaning "brook" and "shire." 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 Brookshire (1.67 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 have the surname Brookshire?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.