2000
#8,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,636
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Brunk
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a well or fountain, from Middle High German "brunke".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,132 Americans carry the last name Brunk. That puts it at #8,740 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,951 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brunk 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
4.1K
1 in 82,951
Census rank
#8,740
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,603 bearers of the surname Brunk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8740th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brunk
The surname Brunk is believed to have originated in Germany, with records indicating its presence as early as the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "brunne," which means "well" or "spring," suggesting a connection to a geographical feature or location near a water source.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Brunk can be found in the records of the village of Bornstedt, located in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1537, a man named Hans Brunk was recorded as a resident of the village, indicating the name's presence in the region during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name Brunk appeared in various records across Germany, including church registers and municipal documents. One notable individual from this era was Johann Brunk, a Lutheran pastor born in 1625 in the town of Arnstadt, located in the modern-day state of Thuringia. Johann Brunk was known for his theological writings and served as a minister in several parishes throughout his life.
As the centuries progressed, the Brunk surname spread across various regions of Germany and beyond. In the 19th century, a man named Friedrich Brunk (1789-1857) gained recognition as a prominent businessman and landowner in the city of Darmstadt, located in the state of Hesse.
Another notable figure with the surname Brunk was Karl Brunk (1891-1962), a German-American artist and illustrator. Born in Berlin, Karl Brunk immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century and became known for his works depicting scenes of American life and culture.
In the field of literature, the name Brunk is associated with Wilhelm Brunk (1884-1955), a German writer and poet who was part of the literary movement known as "Neue Sachlichkeit" (New Objectivity). His works explored themes of modern urban life and social realism.
While the surname Brunk has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and other regions, carried by individuals and families who emigrated from their homeland over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brunk
Among Census respondents with the surname Brunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Brunk 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 Brunk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 3,236
- Two or more races3.6% · 130
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 31
- Black or African American0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brunk
Brunk 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
#8,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,961
+325 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 4 places
2020
#8,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,603
-358 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 381 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,363 | 3,636 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,359 | 3,961 | 1.34 | +325 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 4 places |
| 2020 | #8,740 | 3,603 | 1.21 | -358 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 381 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 Brunk 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 | #8,359 | #8,740 | -4.6% |
| Count | 3,961 | 3,603 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.21 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brunk bearers went from 3,961 to 3,603 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 381 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,359 to #8,740.
FAQ
Brunk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brunk?
Name Census estimates that about 4,132 living Americans carry the surname Brunk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,951 residents.
How common is Brunk?
Brunk ranks #8,740 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 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 3,603 people with the surname Brunk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 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 Brunk.
Has Brunk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brunk went from 3,961 recorded bearers to 3,603. That is a decrease of 358 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,359 to #8,740.
What does the Census say about the background of Brunk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brunk, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Brunk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (3,236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brunk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Brunk (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 Brunk mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a well or fountain, from Middle High German "brunke". 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 Brunk (1.21 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 Brunk?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.