Explore the Family Name Bronte
The meaning of Bronte
1. Irish: altered form of Brunty, see Prunty. The change in spelling to Brontë in the Bronte literary family (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) was made by their father, Patrick Brunty, for reasons unknown. It may have been an affectation, in imitation of the Duke of Brontë, a title conferred on Admiral Lord Nelson in 1799 by Ferdinand, King of Sicily. Bronte is the name of a place in Sicily, literally meaning ‘thunder’. Nelson generally signed himself Nelson and Brontë. 2. English (Sussex) and Irish: variant of Brunt.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bronte in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bronte has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it held a rank of 117,538 with 137 individuals carrying the name. By 2010, the rank slipped to 129,825, and the count decreased to 131, marking a drop of 10.45% in rank and 4.38% in count. This decrease also led to a proportional reduction from 0.05 to 0.04 per 100k people, signifying a 20% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #117,538 | #129,825 | -10.45% |
| Count | 137 | 131 | -4.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bronte
As for ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the Bronte surname within the same decade. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander individuals with this surname notably dropped from 4.38% in 2000 to zero in 2010. The White ethnicity remains dominant, albeit slightly reduced from 89.78% to 87.79%. Interestingly, there are no recorded Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals bearing the Bronte surname as of 2010. However, Black individuals and those identifying as two or more races have appeared in the census data with percentages of 3.82% and 6.11% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.78% | 87.79% | -2.22% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 6.11% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 3.82% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.38% | 0% | -100% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |