Brose last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Brose

Of German origin, a surname referring to a maker or seller of brooms.

Brose, 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 Brose surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brose in America

Brose is the 15931st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brose surname appeared 1,824 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Brose.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brose 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 15931 15187 4.78%
Count 1,824 1,781 2.39%
Proportion per 100k 0.62 0.66 -6.25%

The history of the last name Brose

The surname Brose originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "bros," meaning "a breaking or crumbling." This suggests that the name may have been originally occupational, referring to someone who worked with breaking or crushing materials, such as a miller or stonecutter.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brose can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, where a Johann Brose is mentioned in 1592. In the 17th century, the name also appears in various church records and legal documents across southern Germany, indicating its spread throughout the region.

The Brose surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Johann Brose (1625-1699), a German painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in churches and museums across Germany and Austria.

Another notable bearer of the name was Karl Brose (1810-1887), a German architect and engineer who designed several prominent buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag building and the Berlin Cathedral.

In the 19th century, the Brose family played a significant role in the development of the German automotive industry. Gustav Brose (1873-1944) founded the Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, a company that manufactured automotive components and accessories. His son, Max Brose (1901-1985), later took over the company and expanded its operations.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Brose was the German writer and playwright, Max Frisch (1911-1991). Although his birth name was Max Rudolf Brose, he adopted the surname Frisch later in life. His works, including novels such as "Homo Faber" and plays like "Andorra," explore themes of identity, alienation, and moral responsibility.

While the Brose surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. However, its origins can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Europe, where it first emerged as a distinctive surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brose

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

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 Brose was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.08% 1,716
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.55% 10
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.14% 39
Hispanic Origin 2.52% 46

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 Brose has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.08% 96.07% -2.09%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.55% 0.84% -41.73%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.14% 1.07% 66.67%
Hispanic 2.52% 1.40% 57.14%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Brose last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 7, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/brose-surname-popularity/.

"Brose last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/brose-surname-popularity/. Accessed 7 May, 2025

Brose last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/brose-surname-popularity/.

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