2000
#55,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 348
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Brolin
A Swedish surname with potential origins related to a place name or an older occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 399 Americans carry the last name Brolin. That puts it at #62,198 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 859,033 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brolin 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
399
1 in 859,033
Census rank
#62,198
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
348
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 348 bearers of the surname Brolin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62198th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brolin
The surname Brolin originated in Sweden during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse words "bro" meaning bridge and "linn" meaning shelter or dwelling, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name may have resided near a bridge or shelter.
The name Brolin can be traced back to the 15th century in Scandinavia, where it was initially spelled as "Brolinn" or "Brolindh." Some of the earliest recorded instances of this surname are found in Swedish parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries, primarily in the regions of Dalarna and Värmland.
One notable historical reference to the name Brolin is found in the Swedish Genealogical Handbook from the 18th century, which mentions a family with this surname residing in the town of Gävle. The handbook also suggests that the name may have been derived from a specific location or farm called "Brolin."
The earliest known bearer of the surname Brolin was Lars Brolin, born in 1583 in Dalarna, Sweden. Another notable figure was Johan Brolin, a Swedish merchant and ship owner who lived in the 17th century and was involved in the lucrative trade between Sweden and the Netherlands.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Brolin was Carl Brolin (1861-1925), a Swedish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits. He was born in Gävle and studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts.
Another noteworthy person with this surname was Nils Brolin (1890-1971), a Swedish writer and journalist who worked for several newspapers and published numerous books, including novels and short stories.
In the 20th century, the name Brolin gained international recognition with the American actor James Brolin (born 1940), known for his roles in films such as "Westworld," "Catch Me If You Can," and "Traffic." He is the father of the actor Josh Brolin (born 1968), who has starred in movies like "No Country for Old Men," "Milk," and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Additionally, Peter Brolin (born 1957) is a Swedish singer and songwriter who has achieved success in his home country, particularly with his album "En liten bit av evigheten" released in 1983.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brolin
Among Census respondents with the surname Brolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Brolin 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 Brolin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 307
- Two or more races5.5% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 16
- Black or African American1.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brolin
Brolin 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
#59,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 340
-8 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 4,233 places
2020
#62,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 348
+8 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 2,728 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,237 | 348 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #59,470 | 340 | 0.12 | -8 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 4,233 places |
| 2020 | #62,198 | 348 | 0.12 | +8 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 2,728 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 Brolin 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 | #59,470 | #62,198 | -4.6% |
| Count | 340 | 348 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brolin bearers went from 340 to 348 (+2.4% change). The surname moved down 2,728 positions in the national ranking, going from #59,470 to #62,198.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Brolin
FAQ
Brolin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brolin?
Name Census estimates that about 399 living Americans carry the surname Brolin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 859,033 residents.
How common is Brolin?
Brolin ranks #62,198 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 348 people with the surname Brolin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (399), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Brolin.
Has Brolin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brolin went from 340 recorded bearers to 348. That is an increase of 8 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #59,470 to #62,198.
What does the Census say about the background of Brolin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brolin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Brolin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (307 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brolin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Two or More Races (5.5%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Brolin (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 Brolin mean?
A Swedish surname with potential origins related to a place name or an older occupation. 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 Brolin (0.12 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 Brolin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.