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

Bryan, 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 Bryan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bryan in America

Bryan is the 585th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bryan surname appeared 57,143 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Bryan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bryan 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 Bryan

The surname BRYAN has its origins in the ancient Brittonic Celtic language of Britain. It is derived from the elements 'bri', meaning hill or high place, and 'ant', meaning against or opposite. Thus, the name originally referred to someone who lived on or near a prominent hill or ridge.

The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in Britain, with the first recorded instances appearing in the Domesday Book of 1086. This great census, commissioned by William the Conqueror, lists several individuals with the surname, including Ralph Brian in Norfolk and Radulf Brian in Somerset.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Brian, Bryan, Bryen, and Brion. These differences often reflected regional dialects and pronunciation variations across the British Isles.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Guy de Bryan (c. 1120-1190), a Norman nobleman and constable of Wallingford Castle in Berkshire. His descendants played important roles in the Wars of the Roses and the Hundred Years' War against France.

Another prominent figure was Sir Francis Bryan (1490-1548), a courtier and diplomat in the service of King Henry VIII. He played a key role in the annulment of the king's marriage to Catherine of Aragon and was later appointed Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.

William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925), a renowned American orator, politician, and three-time Democratic nominee for President, is perhaps the most famous bearer of the surname in modern times. He was a leading voice for progressive causes and is remembered for his involvement in the Scopes "Monkey" Trial.

The name has also been associated with various place names across Britain, such as Bryan's Green in Middlesex, Bryanston in Dorset, and Bryansford in County Down, Ireland, reflecting the historical presence and influence of families with this surname in these regions.

Other notable individuals with the BRYAN surname include Walter Bryan (1758-1839), a Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in North Carolina, and Joseph Bryan (1805-1858), a prominent banker and businessman in Richmond, Virginia, whose estate became the site of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bryan

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

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 Bryan 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 Bryan 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 Bryan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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