2000
#3,428
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,557
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.54
Uncommon Last name
Broyles
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the brook" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,436 Americans carry the last name Broyles. That puts it at #3,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,843 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Broyles 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.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 32,843
Census rank
#3,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.1K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,101 bearers of the surname Broyles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Broyles, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Broyles
The surname BROYLES is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'brogel', which referred to a small stream or brook, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name likely resided near such a waterway.
The name first appeared in historical records during the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded mentions being in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it was spelled as 'Brokeles'. This variation suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a specific place name, perhaps a settlement or hamlet located near a brook.
In the 14th century, the name began to take on its more recognizable form, with entries in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1317 documenting individuals named 'Brokholes' and 'Brokholes'. These spellings further solidified the connection between the name and its watery origins.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this surname was William Brokholes, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1347. Another notable figure was John Brokholes, a prominent merchant and landowner in Lancashire, whose name appeared in the Duchy of Lancaster records in the late 14th century.
As the centuries progressed, the name continued to evolve, with variations such as 'Brokeholes', 'Brokholls', and eventually 'Broyles' becoming more common. One notable bearer of this surname was Sir John Broyles, a distinguished military commander during the English Civil War in the 17th century, who served under Oliver Cromwell.
In the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with the achievements of William Broyles, a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the celebrated St. George's Church in Bloomsbury, completed in 1730.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Broyles, a pioneering educator and activist who established one of the first schools for girls in Manchester in the early 19th century. Her efforts paved the way for greater access to education for women in the region.
As the name spread across England and beyond, it continued to be associated with various occupations and achievements. One such example was Robert Broyles, a celebrated explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the British colonies during the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Broyles
Among Census respondents with the surname Broyles, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Broyles 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 Broyles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 7,700
- Black or African American6.6% · 600
- Two or more races4.4% · 399
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 280
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Broyles
Broyles 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
#3,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,781
+224 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.32
Rank movement Down 202 places
2020
#3,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,101
-680 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 3.04
Rank movement Down 175 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,428 | 9,557 | 3.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,630 | 9,781 | 3.32 | +224 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 202 places |
| 2020 | #3,805 | 9,101 | 3.04 | -680 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 175 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 Broyles 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 | #3,630 | #3,805 | -4.8% |
| Count | 9,781 | 9,101 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.32 | 3.04 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Broyles bearers went from 9,781 to 9,101 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 175 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,630 to #3,805.
FAQ
Broyles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Broyles?
Name Census estimates that about 10,436 living Americans carry the surname Broyles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,843 residents.
How common is Broyles?
Broyles ranks #3,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,101 people with the surname Broyles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Broyles.
Has Broyles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Broyles went from 9,781 recorded bearers to 9,101. That is a decrease of 680 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,630 to #3,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Broyles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Broyles, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Broyles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (7,700 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Broyles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Black (6.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Broyles (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 Broyles mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the brook" in Old English. 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 Broyles (3.04 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 have the surname Broyles?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.