2000
#10,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,712
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Brame
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of bridles, saddles, and other horse equipment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,035 Americans carry the last name Brame. That puts it at #11,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,934 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brame 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 Brame with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,934
Census rank
#11,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,647 bearers of the surname Brame in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brame, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.4%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brame
The surname Brame originated in France, where it can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "brame," which means "to bray" or "to cry out." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname for someone with a loud or boisterous voice.
The earliest known record of the name Brame appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive land survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document includes several entries for individuals bearing the name Brame or similar spellings, such as Bram or Brahme.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Brame family was concentrated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. This is evidenced by historical records and the prevalence of place names containing the root "Brame," such as Bramevilliers and Bramevaque.
One notable figure bearing the Brame surname was Jean Brame, a French philosopher and theologian who lived in the late 15th century. He was known for his influential works on moral philosophy and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Brame family settled in England, where they established themselves as respected landowners and members of the gentry. One prominent English Brame was Sir Thomas Brame (1620-1692), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and charitable institutions in his hometown of Bristol.
Another individual of historical significance was Jacques Brame (1745-1821), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. He rose to the rank of General and played a crucial role in several important battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
Over time, the Brame surname spread to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, where it can still be found today. Despite its evolution and geographical dispersal, the name retains its connection to its Old French roots and the legacy of those who bore it throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brame
Among Census respondents with the surname Brame, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.4%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Brame 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 Brame surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.4% · 1,758
- Black or African American24.7% · 653
- Two or more races4.1% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brame
Brame 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
#10,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,911
+199 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 138 places
2020
#11,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,647
-264 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 455 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,797 | 2,712 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,935 | 2,911 | 0.99 | +199 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 138 places |
| 2020 | #11,390 | 2,647 | 0.89 | -264 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 455 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 Brame 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 | #10,935 | #11,390 | -4.2% |
| Count | 2,911 | 2,647 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.89 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brame bearers went from 2,911 to 2,647 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 455 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,935 to #11,390.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Brame
FAQ
Brame surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brame?
Name Census estimates that about 3,035 living Americans carry the surname Brame. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,934 residents.
How common is Brame?
Brame ranks #11,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,647 people with the surname Brame. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,035), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Brame.
Has Brame become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brame went from 2,911 recorded bearers to 2,647. That is a decrease of 264 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,935 to #11,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Brame?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brame, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.4%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Brame in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.4% (1,758 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brame appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.4%), Black (24.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Brame (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 Brame mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of bridles, saddles, and other horse equipment. 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 Brame (0.89 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 common is the surname Brame?
Want to know how many people have the last name Brame? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.