2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Brusko
A surname likely of Polish origin potentially derived from the Polish word "brzuch" meaning stomach or belly.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Brusko. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brusko 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Brusko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brusko, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brusko
The surname BRUSKO has its origins in the Baltic region, specifically in Lithuania and Latvia. It likely emerged in the 14th or 15th century, derived from the Lithuanian word "bruzgas," which means "murmur" or "grumble." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with a gruff or grumbling demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BRUSKO surname can be found in the Lithuanian State Historical Archives, where a document from the late 16th century mentions a man named Mykolas Brusko. This individual was likely a landowner or a member of the local gentry in the region.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the BRUSKO surname was particularly prevalent in the Vilnius and Kaunas regions of Lithuania. Several notable individuals bearing this name can be traced back to this period, including Jonas Brusko (1630-1695), a renowned poet and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of Lithuanian literature.
Another prominent figure with the BRUSKO surname was Martynas Brusko (1745-1812), a Catholic priest and educator who established one of the first Lithuanian-language schools in the Kaunas region. His efforts played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the Lithuanian language and culture during a time of foreign rule.
In the 19th century, the BRUSKO name spread beyond Lithuania and Latvia, as members of the family migrated to other parts of the Russian Empire and Europe. One notable individual from this period was Antanas Brusko (1862-1928), a Lithuanian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist who established successful businesses in the United States and supported various Lithuanian cultural and educational initiatives.
The BRUSKO surname also gained recognition in the field of science, with Juozas Brusko (1890-1962), a prominent Lithuanian physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the study of spectroscopy and atomic physics.
Throughout its history, the BRUSKO surname has maintained a strong presence in the Baltic region, particularly in Lithuania and Latvia, where it is still relatively common today. While the name may have originated from a descriptor of personality or demeanor, it has since evolved to represent a distinct cultural and historical lineage deeply rooted in the rich heritage of the Baltic nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brusko
Among Census respondents with the surname Brusko, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Brusko 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 Brusko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino11.8% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brusko
Brusko 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,922 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 14,922 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 7,338 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 Brusko 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 | #142,108 | #149,446 | -5.2% |
| Count | 117 | 110 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brusko bearers went from 117 to 110 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 7,338 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #149,446.
FAQ
Brusko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brusko?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Brusko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Brusko?
Brusko ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Brusko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Brusko.
Has Brusko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brusko went from 117 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Brusko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brusko, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Brusko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brusko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (11.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Brusko (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 Brusko mean?
A surname likely of Polish origin potentially derived from the Polish word "brzuch" meaning stomach or belly. 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 Brusko (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 Americans have the surname Brusko?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.