2000
#28,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 793
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Rare Last name
Branche
A locational surname referencing those residing near a branch or tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,085 Americans carry the last name Branche. That puts it at #27,055 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 315,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Branche 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
1.1K
1 in 315,903
Census rank
#27,055
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
946
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 946 bearers of the surname Branche in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27055th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Branche, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.7%. The next largest groups are White (33.0%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Branche
The surname Branche is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "branche" meaning "branch" or "bough." This name likely originated as a descriptive surname, perhaps referring to someone who lived near a prominent tree or branch, or who worked as a woodsman or forester.
The earliest recorded instances of the Branche surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of France, such as Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France. The name appears in several medieval records and documents, including the Cartulaire de Saint-Père de Chartres from the 12th century, which mentions a "Gaufridus de Branche."
One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Jean de Branche, a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 14th century. He was renowned for his bravery and military exploits, particularly in the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
Another prominent individual with the Branche surname was Pierre Branche, a 16th-century French Renaissance poet and playwright. He was born in Rouen in 1522 and is best known for his tragedies inspired by classical Greek and Roman works.
In the 17th century, a family of Huguenot refugees named Branche fled religious persecution in France and settled in England. One member of this family, Jean Branche (1640-1718), became a successful merchant and was granted citizenship in London.
The name Branche can also be found in various place names across France, such as Branche-du-Reau in the Charente-Maritime region and Branche-du-Noyer in the Sarthe department. These place names likely influenced the spread and variations of the surname over time.
Other notable individuals with the Branche surname include Louis Branche (1795-1866), a French artist and engraver known for his depictions of Parisian street scenes, and Jean-Baptiste Branche (1767-1850), a French architect and urban planner who worked on several major projects in Paris during the early 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Branche
Among Census respondents with the surname Branche, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.7%. The next largest groups are White (33.0%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Branche 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 Branche surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American52.7% · 499
- White33.0% · 312
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 67
- Two or more races5.3% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Branche
Branche 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
#29,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 818
+25 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 666 places
2020
#27,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 946
+128 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 1,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,353 | 793 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,019 | 818 | 0.28 | +25 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 666 places |
| 2020 | #27,055 | 946 | 0.32 | +128 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 1,964 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 Branche 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 | #29,019 | #27,055 | 6.8% |
| Count | 818 | 946 | 15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.32 | 13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Branche bearers went from 818 to 946 (+15.6% change). The surname moved up 1,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,019 to #27,055.
FAQ
Branche surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Branche?
Name Census estimates that about 1,085 living Americans carry the surname Branche. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 315,903 residents.
How common is Branche?
Branche ranks #27,055 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 946 people with the surname Branche. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,085), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Branche.
Has Branche become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Branche went from 818 recorded bearers to 946. That is an increase of 128 (+15.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,019 to #27,055.
What does the Census say about the background of Branche?
Among Census respondents with the surname Branche, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.7%. The next largest groups are White (33.0%) and Hispanic (7.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Branche in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.7% (499 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Branche appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (52.7%), White (33.0%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Branche (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 Branche mean?
A locational surname referencing those residing near a branch or tree. 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 Branche (0.32 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 have the last name Branche?
Find out how many people have the surname Branche on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.