2000
#5,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,465
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.03
Rare Last name
Bromley
From the Old English words for "broom" and "clearing," referring to a person who lived near a clearing with broom shrubs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,060 Americans carry the last name Bromley. That puts it at #6,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bromley 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 Bromley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,560
Census rank
#6,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,285 bearers of the surname Bromley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bromley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bromley
The surname Bromley originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Bromley, located in the county of Kent. The name is believed to come from the Old English word "brom" meaning "broom" and "leah" meaning "woodland clearing," referring to a clearing where broom grew abundantly.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bromley appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to the manor of Bromley, which was held by a person named Ralph.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Bromley was Richard de Bromleye, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Kent in 1285. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English government, indicating that Richard de Bromleye held a position of importance or wealth.
During the 14th century, the name Bromley appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which listed several individuals with the surname from Kent and Essex. One prominent individual was John de Bromley, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1343 as holding lands in Staffordshire.
In the 15th century, the Bromley family gained significant prominence, with Sir John Bromley (c. 1390-1468) serving as Lord Chancellor of England from 1466 to 1467 under King Edward IV. Another notable figure was Walter Bromley (c. 1440-1508), who was the Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1504 to 1508.
The 16th century saw the rise of William Bromley (c. 1504-1568), who was a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire and known for his involvement in the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII. Additionally, Sir Thomas Bromley (1530-1587) served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1579 to 1587 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Throughout history, the Bromley surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including the English novelist William Stanley Bromley Davenport (1799-1873), the British Army officer Sir Walter Bromley-Davenport (1856-1924), and the English cricketer and politician Edward Bromley (1828-1916).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bromley
Among Census respondents with the surname Bromley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bromley 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 Bromley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 4,640
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 245
- Two or more races3.6% · 188
- Black or African American3.0% · 161
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bromley
Bromley 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
#6,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,576
+111 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Down 351 places
2020
#6,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,285
-291 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Down 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,795 | 5,465 | 2.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,146 | 5,576 | 1.89 | +111 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 351 places |
| 2020 | #6,205 | 5,285 | 1.77 | -291 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 59 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 Bromley 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 | #6,146 | #6,205 | -1.0% |
| Count | 5,576 | 5,285 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.89 | 1.77 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bromley bearers went from 5,576 to 5,285 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,146 to #6,205.
FAQ
Bromley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bromley?
Name Census estimates that about 6,060 living Americans carry the surname Bromley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,560 residents.
How common is Bromley?
Bromley ranks #6,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,285 people with the surname Bromley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,060), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bromley.
Has Bromley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bromley went from 5,576 recorded bearers to 5,285. That is a decrease of 291 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,146 to #6,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Bromley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bromley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Bromley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (4,640 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bromley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Bromley (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 Bromley mean?
From the Old English words for "broom" and "clearing," referring to a person who lived near a clearing with broom shrubs. 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 Bromley (1.77 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 surname Bromley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.