Explore the Family Name Brain
The meaning of Brain
1. English: apparently a nickname from Middle English brain ‘brain, mind’, probably short for brainwod ‘mad in the mind, furious’. Compare Brainard. 2. Irish (Down) and Scottish: shortened Anglicized form of Irish Mac an Bhreitheamhan, Scottish Gaelic Mac a’ Bhreitheamhan ‘son of the judge’, from breitheamh ‘judge’. Compare Braham 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Brain in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Brain experienced a slight shift in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked the 18,034th most popular surname, dropping marginally to 18,156th place in 2010, representing a decrease of 0.68%. However, during the same period, the number of people with this surname increased by 7.5%, from 1,426 in 2000 to 1,533 in 2010. In terms of proportion per 100,000 people, the prevalence of the surname decreased slightly from 0.53 to 0.52.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,034 | #18,156 | -0.68% |
| Count | 1,426 | 1,533 | 7.5% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.53 | 0.52 | -1.89% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Brain
When we analyze the ethnicity associated with the surname Brain, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, we see some interesting changes between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 88.64% of people with the surname identified as White, which increased to 90.67% by 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic also saw an increase, going from 4% in 2000 to 4.37% in 2010. Conversely, those identifying as Black decreased significantly from 4.35% to 3.26%. There were also decreases in the percentages of individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.91% to 0.85%) and those who reported having two or more races or being American Indian and Alaskan Native, where data for 2010 was suppressed for privacy.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.64% | 90.67% | 2.29% |
| Hispanic | 4% | 4.37% | 9.25% |
| Black | 4.35% | 3.26% | -25.06% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.91% | 0.85% | -6.59% |
| Two or More Races | 1.47% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.63% | 0% | 0% |