2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Brupbacher
A topographic name for someone living near a small bridge or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 169 Americans carry the last name Brupbacher. That puts it at #123,144 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,028,132 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brupbacher 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
169
1 in 2,028,132
Census rank
#123,144
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
147
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 147 bearers of the surname Brupbacher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123144th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brupbacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brupbacher
The surname BRUPBACHER is of German origin, originating in the southern regions of Germany during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "bruoh" meaning "marsh" or "swamp," and "bach," meaning "stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name likely referred to individuals who lived near or worked in marshy areas with brooks or streams.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BRUPBACHER name can be found in the town records of Freiburg im Breisgau, a city in the southwestern region of Germany, dating back to the 14th century. The name was spelled "Bruhbacher" in these early records, reflecting the linguistic evolution of the name over time.
In the 16th century, the BRUPBACHER name appeared in the records of the city of Heidelberg, where a certain Hans BRUPBACHER was listed as a landowner and farmer. This suggests that the BRUPBACHER family had established itself as a respected agricultural family in the region.
During the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann BRUPBACHER (1620-1690) was a Lutheran theologian and author who wrote several influential works on Christian doctrine and theology. His writings were widely circulated and studied in academic circles throughout Germany and Europe.
Another prominent individual with the BRUPBACHER surname was Friedrich BRUPBACHER (1770-1842), a German philosopher and educator who was a proponent of the Enlightenment movement. He advocated for the modernization of educational systems and the promotion of reason and scientific inquiry.
In the 19th century, a renowned botanist named Karl BRUPBACHER (1835-1903) made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Germany. He published several volumes on the flora of the Black Forest region and was recognized for his extensive knowledge of plant taxonomy and ecology.
While the BRUPBACHER name originated in Germany, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond as families migrated and settled in new regions. However, the historical roots of this surname can be traced back to the marshlands and streams of southern Germany, where it first emerged as a descriptive name for those living near such landscapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brupbacher
Among Census respondents with the surname Brupbacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Brupbacher 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 Brupbacher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 136
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brupbacher
Brupbacher 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,713 places
2020
#123,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+9 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 7,713 places |
| 2020 | #123,144 | 147 | 0.05 | +9 bearers (+6.5%) | Up 1,404 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 Brupbacher 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 | #124,548 | #123,144 | 1.1% |
| Count | 138 | 147 | 6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brupbacher bearers went from 138 to 147 (+6.5% change). The surname moved up 1,404 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #123,144.
FAQ
Brupbacher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brupbacher?
Name Census estimates that about 169 living Americans carry the surname Brupbacher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,028,132 residents.
How common is Brupbacher?
Brupbacher ranks #123,144 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 147 people with the surname Brupbacher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Brupbacher.
Has Brupbacher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brupbacher went from 138 recorded bearers to 147. That is an increase of 9 (+6.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #124,548 to #123,144.
What does the Census say about the background of Brupbacher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brupbacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%). 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 Brupbacher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brupbacher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (7.5%). 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 Brupbacher (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 Brupbacher mean?
A topographic name for someone living near a small bridge or brook. 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 Brupbacher (0.05 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 Brupbacher?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.