2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Breakell
An English surname derived from a place name or personal name, with possible meanings like 'dweller by the brook' or 'dweller by the brook valley.'
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Breakell. 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 Breakell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Breakell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
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 Breakell 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 Breakell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breakell
The surname Breakell originates from England and traces its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bræc," meaning "newly cultivated land" or "clearing in a forest." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to refer to someone who lived or worked on such land.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared as "de Brakenhull" or "de Brakenhall" in various medieval records from the county of Lancashire. These spellings likely refer to a place name, indicating that the surname initially denoted someone who hailed from a specific location, possibly a farmstead or settlement.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Brakenhull, who was mentioned in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246. This record provides valuable insight into the name's historical presence and evolution over time.
The Breakell surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout its history, including Brackenhall, Brackenhill, Brakenhall, and Brakenhull, among others. These variations reflect the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier periods and the influence of regional dialects.
Notably, the name Breakell appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early mention highlights the name's long-standing presence in English history.
Notable figures bearing the Breakell surname include:
1. William Breakell (c. 1550-1622), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Loughborough and the President of St John's College, Oxford.
2. Thomas Breakell (1612-1690), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury in the 17th century.
3. Elizabeth Breakell (1670-1745), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Yorkshire, known for her charitable contributions to various causes.
4. John Breakell (1785-1856), a British naval officer who participated in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812.
5. Robert Breakell (1892-1967), a renowned British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
While the Breakell surname may not be among the most common in the present day, its historical significance and longstanding presence in England's records attest to its enduring legacy as a part of the country's rich onomastic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breakell
Among Census respondents with the surname Breakell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Breakell 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 Breakell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 102
- Two or more races5.3% · 6
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breakell
Breakell 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,383 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,383 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,081 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 Breakell 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 | #141,140 | #147,221 | -4.3% |
| Count | 118 | 113 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breakell bearers went from 118 to 113 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,221.
FAQ
Breakell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breakell?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Breakell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Breakell?
Breakell 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 Breakell. 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 Breakell.
Has Breakell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breakell went from 118 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Breakell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breakell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Breakell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breakell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Black (3.5%). 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 Breakell (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 Breakell mean?
An English surname derived from a place name or personal name, with possible meanings like 'dweller by the brook' or 'dweller by the brook valley.' 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 Breakell (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 Breakell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.