2000
#3,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,749
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.61
Uncommon Last name
Broome
An English occupational surname referring to one who made or sold brooms.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,683 Americans carry the last name Broome. That puts it at #3,710 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,084 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Broome 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Broome with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,084
Census rank
#3,710
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.3K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,316 bearers of the surname Broome in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3710th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Broome, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Broome
The surname Broome is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "brom," which means "broom plant" or "shrub." This name likely originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a place where broom plants grew abundantly.
The earliest known record of the surname Broome dates back to the late 12th century in the county of Worcestershire, England. In the Pipe Rolls of 1190, a person named William de Brome is mentioned, indicating the presence of the name during that time period.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Broome. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Brome in Suffolk and Bromleye in Norfolk.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Broome appeared in various spellings, including Brome, Brom, and Broome. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation common in that era.
One notable person with the surname Broome was Alexander Broome (c. 1617-1668), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth in London. Another was Ralph Broome (1553-1625), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Guildford in 1597.
In the 18th century, John Broome (1738-1794) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He was instrumental in several naval battles and received recognition for his bravery and leadership.
William Broome (1689-1745) was an English poet and translator who is best known for his contributions to Alexander Pope's translation of Homer's Odyssey. He also published several original works, including poetry and translations of classical texts.
Lastly, John Broome (1824-1896) was an English-born Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and Victoria in the early days of Australian domestic cricket. He is considered one of the pioneers of cricket in Australia and played a significant role in the development of the sport in the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Broome
Among Census respondents with the surname Broome, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Broome 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 Broome surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.7% · 7,239
- Black or African American14.5% · 1,354
- Two or more races4.1% · 384
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 239
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Broome
Broome 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
#3,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,133
+384 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 3.44
Rank movement Down 169 places
2020
#3,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,316
-817 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 3.12
Rank movement Down 188 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,353 | 9,749 | 3.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,522 | 10,133 | 3.44 | +384 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 169 places |
| 2020 | #3,710 | 9,316 | 3.12 | -817 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 188 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 Broome 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 | #3,522 | #3,710 | -5.3% |
| Count | 10,133 | 9,316 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.44 | 3.12 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Broome bearers went from 10,133 to 9,316 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 188 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,522 to #3,710.
FAQ
Broome surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Broome?
Name Census estimates that about 10,683 living Americans carry the surname Broome. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,084 residents.
How common is Broome?
Broome ranks #3,710 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,316 people with the surname Broome. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,683), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Broome.
Has Broome become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Broome went from 10,133 recorded bearers to 9,316. That is a decrease of 817 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,522 to #3,710.
What does the Census say about the background of Broome?
Among Census respondents with the surname Broome, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Broome in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.7% (7,239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Broome appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.7%), Black (14.5%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Broome (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 Broome mean?
An English occupational surname referring to one who made or sold brooms. 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 Broome (3.12 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 Broome?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.