2000
#1,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,735
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.54
Uncommon Last name
Broussard
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a thicket or bush.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,133 Americans carry the last name Broussard. That puts it at #1,313 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,375 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Broussard 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
30K
1 in 11,375
Census rank
#1,313
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,277 bearers of the surname Broussard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1313th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Broussard, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Broussard
The surname Broussard originated in France, specifically in the Poitou-Charentes region, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "broce," meaning "thicket" or "undergrowth," and the suffix "-ard," which denotes a person associated with a particular place or occupation.
The earliest recorded examples of the Broussard name can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1284, a document mentions a certain "Jehan Broussart," likely a resident of a area known for its dense vegetation. The name was also found in various medieval records and manuscripts from the region, often spelled as "Brossard," "Brochart," or "Brochard."
One notable historical figure bearing the Broussard name was Jacques Broussard, a French explorer who was part of the expedition led by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, in the late 17th century. Jacques Broussard played a crucial role in establishing the first French settlement in Louisiana, and his descendants became prominent members of the Acadian community in the region.
Another significant individual was Jean-Baptiste Broussard, a military leader and landowner born in 1701 in Acadia (now Nova Scotia). He fought alongside the French during the French and Indian War and later settled in Louisiana, where he became a prominent figure in the Acadian diaspora after the Great Expulsion.
In the 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Broussard II, born in 1803, was a prominent politician and judge in Louisiana. He served as a member of the Louisiana State Senate and was instrumental in the development of the state's legal system.
One of the most famous individuals with the Broussard surname was Émilie Broussard, born in 1834 in Louisiana. She was a renowned author and poet, known for her contributions to the preservation of Acadian culture and language in Louisiana.
Another notable figure was Joseph Broussard, born in 1878 in Louisiana. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the economic development of the state and supported various educational and cultural initiatives.
The Broussard surname is closely associated with the Acadian heritage and the history of Louisiana. While its origins can be traced back to medieval France, the name gained prominence in the New World due to the Acadian diaspora and the settlement of French settlers in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Broussard
Among Census respondents with the surname Broussard, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Broussard 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 Broussard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.9% · 17,051
- Black or African American26.5% · 6,964
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 1,111
- Two or more races3.7% · 968
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 85
Timeline
Historical Census data for Broussard
Broussard 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
#1,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,971
+1,236 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 9.14
Rank movement Down 53 places
2020
#1,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,277
-694 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 8.79
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,249 | 25,735 | 9.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,302 | 26,971 | 9.14 | +1,236 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 53 places |
| 2020 | #1,313 | 26,277 | 8.79 | -694 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 11 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 Broussard 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 | #1,302 | #1,313 | -0.8% |
| Count | 26,971 | 26,277 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 9.14 | 8.79 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Broussard bearers went from 26,971 to 26,277 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,302 to #1,313.
FAQ
Broussard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Broussard?
Name Census estimates that about 30,133 living Americans carry the surname Broussard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,375 residents.
How common is Broussard?
Broussard ranks #1,313 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,277 people with the surname Broussard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Broussard.
Has Broussard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Broussard went from 26,971 recorded bearers to 26,277. That is a decrease of 694 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,302 to #1,313.
What does the Census say about the background of Broussard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Broussard, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.9%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Broussard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.9% (17,051 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Broussard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.9%), Black (26.5%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Broussard (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 Broussard mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a thicket or bush. 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 Broussard (8.79 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 are called Broussard?
Want to know how common the surname Broussard is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.