Explore the Family Name Bremner
The meaning of Bremner
1. Scottish: habitational name for someone from Brabant in the Low Countries, from Older Scots Brebner, Brabanare ‘native or inhabitant of Brabant’ (see Brabant and compare with the synonymous Brabazon). Weavers from Brabant settled early at Aberdeen and on the east coast of Scotland. 2. German: habitational name for someone from the city of Bremen. This surname is very rare in Germany.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bremner in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bremner has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 19,797 in terms of commonly used surnames, but by 2010, it had risen to 18,036, reflecting an 8.9% change. Furthermore, the count of individuals bearing this surname also grew from 1,258 to 1,547, marking a substantial 22.97% boost. The proportion per 100k people also saw an increase from 0.47 to 0.52, indicating a 10.64% growth during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,797 | #18,036 | 8.9% |
| Count | 1,258 | 1,547 | 22.97% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.47 | 0.52 | 10.64% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bremner
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the Bremner surname. Between 2000 and 2010, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 0.79% to 1.10%, and those reporting two or more races rose from 2.86% to 3.43%. However, the proportion identifying as White decreased slightly from 86.72% to 83.26%. Hispanic representation also expanded from 1.51% to 2.39%, while Black representation more than doubled, escalating from 1.99% to 4.27%. Meanwhile, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native experienced a slight decrease, moving from 6.12% to 5.56%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.72% | 83.26% | -3.99% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 6.12% | 5.56% | -9.15% |
| Black | 1.99% | 4.27% | 114.57% |
| Two or More Races | 2.86% | 3.43% | 19.93% |
| Hispanic | 1.51% | 2.39% | 58.28% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.79% | 1.1% | 39.24% |
Bremner ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bremner is British & Irish, which comprises 64.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (14.7%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 64.5% |
| French & German | 14.7% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 5.5% |
| Other | 15.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Bremner
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bremner have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
What Bremner haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bremner is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bremner surname are: H1, H, J1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Bremner have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Like Very Cold Weather
Enjoys weather that is colder than 40 degrees Farenheit
"Bremner" Surname 38.5%
23andMe Users 24.8%
Traits
Straight Hair
Hair with strands that have no visible curl or wave.
"Bremner" Surname 43.8%
23andMe Users 30.5%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Bremner" Surname 41.2%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bremner?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bremner are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition