2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Brunges
A surname possibly derived from the Old French words "brun" meaning brown and "ges" meaning people or race.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Brunges. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brunges 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Brunges in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brunges, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brunges
The surname "BRUNGES" has its origins in England, dating back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "brun" and "hrycg," which together mean "brown ridge" or "brown hill." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a geographical feature or location where the first bearers of the name lived or were associated with.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BRUNGES" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, a medieval tax record from the late 12th century. It appears as "Brunges" in these rolls, indicating that the spelling has remained relatively consistent over the centuries.
During the 13th century, the name "BRUNGES" is mentioned in several historical documents, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex and the Curia Regis Rolls for Bedfordshire. These records provide evidence of the name's presence in different parts of England at that time.
In the late 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name "BRUNGES" was John Brunges, a landowner and prominent member of the local community in Wiltshire. He was recorded as owning properties in the village of Steeple Ashton and neighboring areas.
Another historical figure of note was William Brunges, who lived in the early 16th century and was a member of the Guild of Weavers in the city of Norwich. He is mentioned in the guild's records from that period, highlighting the name's association with the textile trade.
In the 17th century, the name "BRUNGES" appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in the village of Braunston, Northamptonshire. One entry from 1642 records the marriage of Thomas Brunges and Anne Willoughby.
During the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Robert Brunges (1721-1788), a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Berkshire. He was known for his involvement in local affairs and served as a magistrate in the town of Newbury.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Brunges (1793-1867), who was born in the village of Weston, Hertfordshire. She became a renowned author and poet, publishing several works throughout her lifetime, including a collection of poems titled "Musings of a Country Maiden."
These examples illustrate the long history and geographical spread of the surname "BRUNGES" across various regions of England, as well as its association with different occupations and social standings over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brunges
Among Census respondents with the surname Brunges, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Brunges 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 Brunges surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 118
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brunges
Brunges 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,426 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-10 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 10,426 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 11,305 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 Brunges 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 | #132,206 | #143,511 | -8.6% |
| Count | 128 | 118 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brunges bearers went from 128 to 118 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 11,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #143,511.
FAQ
Brunges surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brunges?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Brunges. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Brunges?
Brunges ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Brunges. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Brunges.
Has Brunges become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brunges went from 128 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Brunges?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brunges, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Brunges in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brunges appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Brunges (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 Brunges mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Old French words "brun" meaning brown and "ges" meaning people or race. 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 Brunges (0.04 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 Brunges?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.