Find out how popular the last name Brunson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Brunson.

Brunson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Brunson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brunson in America

Brunson is the 2115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brunson surname appeared 17,099 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Brunson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brunson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Brunson

The surname Brunson is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern regions of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "brun" meaning brown and "tun" meaning a town or settlement. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locative name, referring to someone who lived in or near a brown-colored town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Brunson name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Brunestone" in reference to a settlement in Yorkshire. This provides evidence that the name existed in England as early as the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly spelled in various forms, such as Brouneson, Brownson, and Brounson, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions at the time.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Brunson (c. 1320 - 1386) was mentioned in the records of the city of York, where he served as a merchant and alderman. This early record provides insight into the prominence of the Brunson name in the region during that period.

As the name spread across England, it also appeared in different areas and underwent further spelling variations. In the 16th century, the Brunson family had established roots in the county of Lancashire, where they were recognized as landed gentry.

One notable Brunson from this era was Sir John Brunson (1544 - 1612), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament who represented Lancashire in the House of Commons during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Richard Brunson (1635 - 1710), an influential clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Peterborough. His writings on theology and religious matters were widely circulated during his lifetime.

Another individual of note was Thomas Brunson (1670 - 1735), a renowned architect who played a significant role in the construction of several churches and public buildings in London during the early 18th century.

As the Brunson family continued to flourish, they left their mark in various fields, including literature, politics, and the military. One such figure was Captain William Brunson (1788 - 1858), a naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars and later became an author, publishing his memoirs and accounts of his experiences at sea.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brunson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Brunson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brunson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Brunson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Brunson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brunson, please contact us.

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