2000
#2,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,574
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.29
Uncommon Last name
Broughton
A locational surname derived from any of various places in England named Broughton, meaning "settlement by a brook."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,216 Americans carry the last name Broughton. That puts it at #3,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,935 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Broughton 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 Broughton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,935
Census rank
#3,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,525 bearers of the surname Broughton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Broughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (28.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Broughton
The surname Broughton originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is a locational name derived from one of the numerous places called Broughton, which is an Old English compound word, "Burg-tun," meaning a fortified town or settlement.
The earliest known record of the name Broughton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Burcheton" and "Burgeton." This suggests that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the 11th century.
In the 12th century, the name was recorded as "de Bructon" and "de Broctuna," indicating that it was a place of residence for certain individuals or families. These early spellings highlight the variations that occurred over time due to local dialects and scribal errors.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Broughton (c. 1300-1370), an English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He participated in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Another historical figure was Hugh Broughton (1549-1612), an English scholar and Puritan divine. He was known for his expertise in Hebrew and his contributions to the translation of the Bible.
In the 17th century, Richard Broughton (1608-1687) was a prominent English clergyman and author. He served as the vicar of Kidderminster and wrote several religious works, including "An Exposition of the Ten Commandments."
During the 18th century, William Broughton (1768-1821) was a British naval officer and explorer. He played a significant role in the exploration of the Pacific Ocean and was the first European to sight the Hawaiian Islands.
Another notable figure was John Broughton (1789-1837), an English bare-knuckle boxer known as the "Father of Boxing." He was instrumental in establishing many of the rules and regulations that governed the sport in its early days.
These examples demonstrate the widespread distribution of the Broughton surname throughout England and its association with individuals from various walks of life, including military personnel, clergy, scholars, explorers, and sportsmen.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Broughton
Among Census respondents with the surname Broughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (28.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Broughton 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 Broughton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.1% · 7,274
- Black or African American28.5% · 3,283
- Two or more races4.3% · 490
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 355
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Broughton
Broughton 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
#2,918
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,273
+699 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 4.16
Rank movement Down 74 places
2020
#3,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,525
-748 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 3.86
Rank movement Down 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,844 | 11,574 | 4.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,918 | 12,273 | 4.16 | +699 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 74 places |
| 2020 | #3,042 | 11,525 | 3.86 | -748 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 124 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 Broughton 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 | #2,918 | #3,042 | -4.2% |
| Count | 12,273 | 11,525 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.16 | 3.86 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Broughton bearers went from 12,273 to 11,525 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,918 to #3,042.
FAQ
Broughton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Broughton?
Name Census estimates that about 13,216 living Americans carry the surname Broughton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,935 residents.
How common is Broughton?
Broughton ranks #3,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.86 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 11,525 people with the surname Broughton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,216), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.86 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 Broughton.
Has Broughton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Broughton went from 12,273 recorded bearers to 11,525. That is a decrease of 748 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,918 to #3,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Broughton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Broughton, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (28.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Broughton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.1% (7,274 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Broughton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.1%), Black (28.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Broughton (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 Broughton mean?
A locational surname derived from any of various places in England named Broughton, meaning "settlement by a brook." 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 Broughton (3.86 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 Americans have the surname Broughton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.