Explore the Family Name Bradstreet

The meaning of Bradstreet

English (Suffolk and Oxfordshire): topographic name from Middle English brad ‘broad’ + strat, strede ‘stree’ (Old English brād + strǣt), denoting someone who lived ‘(on the) broad street’. Compare Broadstreet. History: The poet Anne Bradstreet (1612–72) was born Anne Dudley, probably in Northampton, England. She and her husband Simon Bradstreet came to MA with Winthrop (see Winthrop) in 1630. Simon (1603–97) came from an old Suffolk family. He served in various public offices and was governor of MA from 1679 to 1686 and again in 1686–92.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bradstreet in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Bradstreet has seen a slight increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Bradstreet ranked 20,960 and rose to 20,780 in 2010, reflecting a change of 0.86 percent. The count of individuals with this surname also increased by 8.73 percent, shifting from 1,169 in 2000 to 1,271 in 2010. However, the proportion per 100k remained steady at 0.43 during these years.

20002010Change
Rank#20,960#20,7800.86%
Count1,1691,2718.73%
Proportion per 100k0.430.430%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bradstreet

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts within the Bradstreet surname bearers. While there was no recorded change for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native, there was a significant increase (177.94 percent) in persons identifying with two or more races, moving from 0.68 percent in 2000 to 1.89 percent in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased slightly by 2.03 percent, while those identifying as Black increased by 16.86 percent. Those identifying as Hispanic saw a decrease of 38.96 percent.

20002010Change
White91.96%90.09%-2.03%
Black5.99%7%16.86%
Two or More Races0.68%1.89%177.94%
Hispanic0.77%0.47%-38.96%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%