2000
#2,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,294
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.19
Uncommon Last name
Brothers
An occupational surname referring to a pair or group of brothers working together in a particular trade.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,814 Americans carry the last name Brothers. That puts it at #3,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,748 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brothers 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 Brothers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,748
Census rank
#3,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,174 bearers of the surname Brothers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brothers
The surname Brothers is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "brōthor," meaning "brother." It likely originated as a descriptive name for someone who had a close relationship with a brother or was part of a religious brotherhood.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the late 12th century in various English records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1190, where a William Brother is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include entries for people with the surname Brothers or variants like le Broder.
In the 13th century, the surname Brothers appeared in the Cartulary of St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, where a Roger le Brodur is listed. This indicates that the name was present in the capital during that time period.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was John Brothers, born around 1360 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Gloucestershire in 1388.
Another notable individual was Richard Brothers, born in 1757 in Placentia, Newfoundland. He was a religious writer and claimed to be a prophet, publishing several works including "A Revealed Knowledge of the Prophecies and Times" in 1794.
In the 16th century, the surname Brothers was associated with the village of Brotherton in Yorkshire, which likely contributed to its popularity in that region. William Brotherton, born around 1520 in Yorkshire, was a wealthy merchant and landowner who left a significant estate upon his death in 1587.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain John Brothers fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was involved in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Samuel Brothers, born in 1675 in London. He was a successful printer and publisher, known for his editions of classical works and religious texts.
Overall, the surname Brothers has a long history in England, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. Its origins can be traced to the Old English word for "brother," reflecting familial or religious connections.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brothers
Among Census respondents with the surname Brothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Brothers 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 Brothers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.7% · 8,565
- Black or African American14.9% · 1,665
- Two or more races4.2% · 466
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 331
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brothers
Brothers 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
#3,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,619
+325 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Down 171 places
2020
#3,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,174
-445 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 3.74
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,925 | 11,294 | 4.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,096 | 11,619 | 3.94 | +325 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 171 places |
| 2020 | #3,145 | 11,174 | 3.74 | -445 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 49 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 Brothers 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 | #3,096 | #3,145 | -1.6% |
| Count | 11,619 | 11,174 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 3.74 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brothers bearers went from 11,619 to 11,174 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,096 to #3,145.
FAQ
Brothers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brothers?
Name Census estimates that about 12,814 living Americans carry the surname Brothers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,748 residents.
How common is Brothers?
Brothers ranks #3,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,174 people with the surname Brothers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,814), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Brothers.
Has Brothers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brothers went from 11,619 recorded bearers to 11,174. That is a decrease of 445 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,096 to #3,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Brothers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brothers, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Brothers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.7% (8,565 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brothers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.7%), Black (14.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Brothers (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 Brothers mean?
An occupational surname referring to a pair or group of brothers working together in a particular trade. 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 Brothers (3.74 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 common is the surname Brothers?
Find out how common the surname Brothers is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.