2000
#7,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Rare Last name
Brundage
Derived from a place name meaning "brown ditch" or "brown stream," likely referring to the color of the water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,448 Americans carry the last name Brundage. That puts it at #8,175 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brundage 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
4.4K
1 in 77,058
Census rank
#8,175
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,879 bearers of the surname Brundage in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8175th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brundage, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brundage
The surname Brundage has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "brun" meaning brown and "ecg" meaning edge or ridge, likely referring to a person who lived near a brown ridge or hillside.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Brunedge" in Hertfordshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.
During the 13th century, variations of the spelling such as "Brundiche" and "Brundyche" can be found in various historical records from counties like Wiltshire and Berkshire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and scribal errors in transcribing the name.
The Brundage surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Brundish in Suffolk and Brundall in Norfolk. These locations may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa.
One notable figure bearing the Brundage surname was Sir John Brundage (c. 1490-1558), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1552. Another prominent individual was Reverend Samuel Brundage (1621-1692), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of Milford, Connecticut.
In the 17th century, several Brundage families emigrated from England to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was Thomas Brundage, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1638.
Another significant figure was Denton Brundage (1840-1917), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas.
Moving into the 20th century, Avery Brundage (1887-1975) was an influential American sports administrator who served as the president of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 1972.
Throughout its history, the Brundage surname has maintained a presence in both England and the United States, with various individuals making notable contributions in fields such as politics, religion, and sports.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brundage
Among Census respondents with the surname Brundage, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Brundage 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 Brundage surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.6% · 3,167
- Black or African American10.4% · 405
- Two or more races3.3% · 129
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 127
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brundage
Brundage 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
#7,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,558
+367 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 3 places
2020
#8,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,879
-679 bearers (-14.9%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 855 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,323 | 4,191 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,320 | 4,558 | 1.55 | +367 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 3 places |
| 2020 | #8,175 | 3,879 | 1.30 | -679 bearers (-14.9%) | Down 855 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 Brundage 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 | #7,320 | #8,175 | -11.7% |
| Count | 4,558 | 3,879 | -14.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.30 | -16.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brundage bearers went from 4,558 to 3,879 (-14.9% change). The surname moved down 855 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,320 to #8,175.
FAQ
Brundage surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brundage?
Name Census estimates that about 4,448 living Americans carry the surname Brundage. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,058 residents.
How common is Brundage?
Brundage ranks #8,175 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,879 people with the surname Brundage. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,448), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Brundage.
Has Brundage become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brundage went from 4,558 recorded bearers to 3,879. That is a decrease of 679 (-14.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,320 to #8,175.
What does the Census say about the background of Brundage?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brundage, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Brundage in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.6% (3,167 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brundage appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.6%), Black (10.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Brundage (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 Brundage mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "brown ditch" or "brown stream," likely referring to the color of the water. 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 Brundage (1.30 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 share the surname Brundage?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.