2000
#9,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,158
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Brough
A locational surname derived from various places in England meaning "fortified place" or "ravine."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,673 Americans carry the last name Brough. That puts it at #9,677 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,317 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brough 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 Brough with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,317
Census rank
#9,677
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,203 bearers of the surname Brough in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9677th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brough, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brough
The surname Brough is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the medieval period, specifically around the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "burg" or "burh," which means a fortified dwelling or a village. It is closely related to the modern English word "borough."
The name Brough is primarily associated with the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Northumberland. It is thought to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a fortified town or settlement. Alternatively, it could also be a habitational name, indicating a person who hailed from a place called Brough.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brough can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Burgh." This reference suggests that the name was already in use during the 13th century. Additionally, the Domesday Book of 1086 mentions several places with names similar to Brough, such as Burg, Burghe, and Burgo.
The name Brough has been associated with various places in England, including Brough in Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), Brough in Yorkshire, and Brough in Nottinghamshire. These place names are derived from the same Old English root, indicating the presence of fortified settlements or villages in those areas.
Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Brough are:
1. Robert Brough (1828-1860), an English playwright and songwriter.
2. William Brough (1826-1870), an English playwright and novelist, brother of Robert Brough.
3. Lionel Brough (1836-1909), an English actor and playwright.
4. Mary Brough (1786-1849), an English writer and translator.
5. John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute (1847-1900), a wealthy Scottish nobleman and antiquarian.
The surname Brough has a rich history deeply rooted in the northern regions of England, reflecting the presence of fortified settlements and villages during the medieval period. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English language, and it has been associated with various places and individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brough
Among Census respondents with the surname Brough, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Brough 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 Brough surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 2,896
- Two or more races3.6% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 113
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 30
- Black or African American0.9% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brough
Brough 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
#9,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,345
+187 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 250 places
2020
#9,677
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,203
-142 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,448 | 3,158 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,698 | 3,345 | 1.13 | +187 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 250 places |
| 2020 | #9,677 | 3,203 | 1.07 | -142 bearers (-4.2%) | Up 21 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 Brough 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 | #9,698 | #9,677 | 0.2% |
| Count | 3,345 | 3,203 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.07 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brough bearers went from 3,345 to 3,203 (-4.2% change). The surname moved up 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,698 to #9,677.
FAQ
Brough surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brough?
Name Census estimates that about 3,673 living Americans carry the surname Brough. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,317 residents.
How common is Brough?
Brough ranks #9,677 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,203 people with the surname Brough. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,673), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Brough.
Has Brough become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brough went from 3,345 recorded bearers to 3,203. That is a decrease of 142 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,698 to #9,677.
What does the Census say about the background of Brough?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brough, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Brough in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (2,896 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brough appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Brough (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 Brough mean?
A locational surname derived from various places in England meaning "fortified place" or "ravine." 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 Brough (1.07 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 are called Brough?
Find out how common the surname Brough is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.