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

Brophy, 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 Brophy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brophy in America

Brophy is the 5313th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brophy surname appeared 6,557 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Brophy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brophy 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 Brophy

The surname BROPHY is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny in the southeastern region of Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "bróghach," which means "shoe-maker" or "hosier."

The earliest recorded instances of the BROPHY name can be found in medieval Irish records dating back to the 13th century. One notable reference is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Brian Bróghach in the year 1249.

In the 16th century, the BROPHY surname began to appear more frequently in parish records and historic documents. One such example is the will of Thomas Brophy, dated 1557, which was recorded in the Registry of Deeds in Dublin.

The BROPHY name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Edward Brophy (1565-1633), an Irish politician who served as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1607.

Another prominent BROPHY was Reverend Michael Brophy (1639-1718), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively about the events of the Jacobite Wars in Ireland.

In the 19th century, John Brophy (1801-1885) was a successful Irish businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of education and healthcare in his hometown of Carlow.

During the same period, Michael Brophy (1824-1892) gained recognition as a prominent Irish nationalist and journalist, serving as editor of the influential newspaper The Nation.

More recently, John M. Brophy (1920-2004) was a renowned American dentist and academic, who made significant contributions to the field of oral medicine and served as the president of the American Dental Association.

Throughout its history, the BROPHY surname has maintained strong ties to its Irish heritage, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestral roots back to the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny. While the name has spread to various parts of the world, its origins remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural traditions of Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brophy

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

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

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

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