2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Braesch
A habitational surname originating from a place name in Germany, possibly derived from the German word "Brache" meaning fallow land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Braesch. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Braesch 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Braesch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Braesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Braesch
The surname Braesch is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the word "Bresche," which translates to "breach" or "gap" in English, and was likely given to someone residing near a gap or breach in a wall or fortification.
In the early 15th century, the name was recorded in various forms, such as Bresche, Brescher, and Breschin, in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in the Schönberg Abbey archives from 1432, where a certain Hanns Brescher is mentioned as a landowner.
The Braesch name gained prominence in the 16th century, with the rise of the Braesch family in the city of Nuremberg. Johannes Braesch (1492-1563), a notable theologian and reformer, played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
During the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of Germany, and variations like Bräsch and Bresch emerged. In 1638, a Matthias Bräsch was recorded as a merchant in the city of Frankfurt, indicating the family's involvement in trade.
In the 18th century, the Braesch family established themselves in the region of Alsace, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Johann Georg Braesch (1717-1792), a renowned clockmaker and inventor, hailed from Strasbourg and made significant contributions to the field of timekeeping.
The 19th century saw the Braesch name spread further across Europe and beyond. One notable figure was Karl Ferdinand Braesch (1841-1914), a German-American artist and illustrator who gained recognition for his work in the United States.
As the Braesch family dispersed globally, the name underwent various spellings, such as Braesch, Bresch, and Bräsch, reflecting regional variations and adaptations. Despite these changes, the surname's Germanic roots and connection to the concept of a "breach" or "gap" remained a common thread throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Braesch
Among Census respondents with the surname Braesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Braesch 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 Braesch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Braesch
Braesch 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+13 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,920 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-13 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 2,920 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 13,358 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 Braesch 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 | #133,863 | #147,221 | -10.0% |
| Count | 126 | 113 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Braesch bearers went from 126 to 113 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 13,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #147,221.
FAQ
Braesch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Braesch?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Braesch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Braesch?
Braesch ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Braesch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Braesch.
Has Braesch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Braesch went from 126 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Braesch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Braesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Braesch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Braesch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Braesch (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 Braesch mean?
A habitational surname originating from a place name in Germany, possibly derived from the German word "Brache" meaning fallow land. 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 Braesch (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Braesch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.