2000
#13,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,992
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Bruch
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to someone living near a marshland, bog, or swamp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,079 Americans carry the last name Bruch. That puts it at #15,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bruch 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
2.1K
1 in 164,865
Census rank
#15,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,813 bearers of the surname Bruch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bruch
The surname Bruch is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "bruch" or "bruoch," which means "marshy ground" or "swamp." It was likely first used as a topographic name for someone who lived near a marsh or swampy area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Bruch can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas of Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. In some records, the name appeared as "Bruche" or "Brucke," which were older spellings.
One notable historical reference to the name Bruch can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name is mentioned in several land transactions and contracts, indicating its presence in the region during that time.
Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bruch is Johannes Bruch, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1499 to 1542. He was a follower of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
Another prominent figure was Walter Bruch, a German architect and urban planner who lived from 1908 to 1990. He is known for his contributions to the reconstruction and urban planning of post-World War II Germany, particularly in the city of Cologne.
In the field of music, Max Bruch (1838-1920) was a renowned German Romantic composer, conductor, and teacher. His works, such as the Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, are considered masterpieces of the Romantic era.
The name Bruch is also associated with the town of Bruchsal in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, which derives its name from the German word "Bruchsalz" or "marsh salt," referring to the salt marshes in the area.
Another notable individual was Walter Bruch (1908-1990), a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction and urban planning of post-World War II Germany, particularly in the city of Cologne.
While the surname Bruch has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration, with individuals bearing this name found in various countries today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bruch
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bruch 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 Bruch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 1,634
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 93
- Two or more races2.7% · 49
- Black or African American1.1% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bruch
Bruch 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
#14,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,975
-17 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,068 places
2020
#15,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,813
-162 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 565 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,902 | 1,992 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,970 | 1,975 | 0.67 | -17 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,068 places |
| 2020 | #15,535 | 1,813 | 0.61 | -162 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 565 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 Bruch 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 | #14,970 | #15,535 | -3.8% |
| Count | 1,975 | 1,813 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.61 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bruch bearers went from 1,975 to 1,813 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 565 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,970 to #15,535.
FAQ
Bruch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bruch?
Name Census estimates that about 2,079 living Americans carry the surname Bruch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,865 residents.
How common is Bruch?
Bruch ranks #15,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,813 people with the surname Bruch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,079), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Bruch.
Has Bruch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bruch went from 1,975 recorded bearers to 1,813. That is a decrease of 162 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,970 to #15,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Bruch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruch, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bruch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (1,634 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bruch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bruch (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 Bruch mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to someone living near a marshland, bog, or swamp. 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 Bruch (0.61 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 Bruch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.