2000
#8,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,432
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.27
Rare Last name
Lebrun
A French occupational surname referring to someone with brown hair or a dark complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,448 Americans carry the last name Lebrun. That puts it at #8,175 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lebrun 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lebrun with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,058
Census rank
#8,175
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,879 bearers of the surname Lebrun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8175th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebrun, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lebrun
The surname LEBRUN originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French words "le" meaning "the" and "brun" meaning "brown" or "dark-haired." The name likely referred to someone with dark hair or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript from 1086 that recorded landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. The name appears as "Le Brun," indicating its French origins.
During the 12th century, the name was prevalent in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northwestern France. It was also found in the neighboring areas of Anjou and Maine. Variations in spelling included Lebrun, Le Brun, and Lebrun.
In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname was Pierre Lebrun, a renowned architect and stonemason who worked on the construction of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris from 1220 to 1240.
The 16th century saw the birth of Charles Lebrun (1619-1690), a French painter and art theorist who served as the principal painter to King Louis XIV. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the French Baroque style.
During the French Revolution in the late 18th century, Jacques-René Lebrun (1735-1824) was a prominent politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs under the French Directory.
In the 19th century, Marie Lebrun (1819-1901) was a celebrated French novelist and playwright, known for her works depicting the lives of women in high society.
Another notable figure was Auguste Lebrun (1849-1918), a French sculptor and medallist who created numerous public monuments and received the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1876.
Throughout history, the surname LEBRUN has been associated with various professions, including artists, architects, politicians, and writers, reflecting the diverse roles and contributions of those who carried this name across different eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lebrun
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebrun, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lebrun 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 Lebrun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.4% · 2,847
- Black or African American17.4% · 675
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 189
- Two or more races3.1% · 120
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lebrun
Lebrun 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
#8,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,890
+458 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Up 315 places
2020
#8,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,879
-11 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 304 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,794 | 3,432 | 1.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,479 | 3,890 | 1.32 | +458 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 315 places |
| 2020 | #8,175 | 3,879 | 1.30 | -11 bearers (-0.3%) | Up 304 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 Lebrun 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 | #8,479 | #8,175 | 3.6% |
| Count | 3,890 | 3,879 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.30 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lebrun bearers went from 3,890 to 3,879 (-0.3% change). The surname moved up 304 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,479 to #8,175.
FAQ
Lebrun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lebrun?
Name Census estimates that about 4,448 living Americans carry the surname Lebrun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,058 residents.
How common is Lebrun?
Lebrun ranks #8,175 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,879 people with the surname Lebrun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,448), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Lebrun.
Has Lebrun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lebrun went from 3,890 recorded bearers to 3,879. That is a decrease of 11 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,479 to #8,175.
What does the Census say about the background of Lebrun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lebrun, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.4%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Lebrun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.4% (2,847 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lebrun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.4%), Black (17.4%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Lebrun (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 Lebrun mean?
A French occupational surname referring to someone with brown hair or a dark complexion. 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 Lebrun (1.30 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 Lebrun?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.