2000
#8,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,379
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Broadbent
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a broad bent or curve, likely in a road or river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,165 Americans carry the last name Broadbent. That puts it at #8,670 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Broadbent 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 Broadbent with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 82,294
Census rank
#8,670
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,632 bearers of the surname Broadbent in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8670th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Broadbent, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Broadbent
The surname BROADBENT is of English origin, derived from a combination of the Old English words 'brad' meaning broad and 'bene' meaning bent grass or coarse grass. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive name referring to someone who lived near a broad expanse of grassland or a broad valley.
The earliest recorded instance of the BROADBENT surname dates back to the 13th century in Lancashire, England. In 1292, a Robert de Bradebent was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire. This spelling variation highlights the connection to the Old English roots of the name.
During the 14th century, the BROADBENT surname appeared in various records across Yorkshire and Lancashire. For instance, in 1379, a John de Brodebent was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns. The name was also found in the Wakefield Court Rolls of 1317, which mentioned a William de Brodebent.
The BROADBENT surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Thomas Broadbent (1638-1688), an English Nonconformist minister and writer who served as the chaplain to the Duke of Albemarle. Another prominent bearer of the name was John Broadbent (1751-1835), a British engineer and inventor who patented an early design for a self-righting lifeboat.
In the realm of literature, the BROADBENT name gained recognition through the works of George Broadbent (1838-1922), an English novelist and playwright. His most well-known work is the novel "The Intrusion of Peggy," published in 1905.
The BROADBENT surname has also been carried by several notable athletes. One example is Derek Broadbent (1933-2003), an English footballer who played for Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday in the 1950s and 1960s. Another is Tom Broadbent (born 1989), an English rugby league player who has represented the England national team.
While the BROADBENT surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly to countries with strong British colonial ties. However, the majority of historical records and notable individuals bearing this name can be traced back to its English roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Broadbent
Among Census respondents with the surname Broadbent, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Broadbent 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 Broadbent surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 3,359
- Two or more races3.1% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 99
- Black or African American0.7% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Broadbent
Broadbent 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
#9,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,605
+226 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 159 places
2020
#8,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,632
+27 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 396 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,907 | 3,379 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,066 | 3,605 | 1.22 | +226 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 159 places |
| 2020 | #8,670 | 3,632 | 1.22 | +27 bearers (+0.7%) | Up 396 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 Broadbent 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 | #9,066 | #8,670 | 4.4% |
| Count | 3,605 | 3,632 | 0.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.22 | -0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Broadbent bearers went from 3,605 to 3,632 (+0.7% change). The surname moved up 396 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,066 to #8,670.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Broadbent
FAQ
Broadbent surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Broadbent?
Name Census estimates that about 4,165 living Americans carry the surname Broadbent. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,294 residents.
How common is Broadbent?
Broadbent ranks #8,670 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 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 3,632 people with the surname Broadbent. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,165), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 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 Broadbent.
Has Broadbent become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Broadbent went from 3,605 recorded bearers to 3,632. That is an increase of 27 (+0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,066 to #8,670.
What does the Census say about the background of Broadbent?
Among Census respondents with the surname Broadbent, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Broadbent in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (3,359 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Broadbent appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Broadbent (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 Broadbent mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a broad bent or curve, likely in a road or river. 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 Broadbent (1.22 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 Broadbent?
Want to know how many people have the last name Broadbent? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.