Find out how popular the last name Breault is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Breault.

Breault, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Breault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Breault in America

Breault is the 8854th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Breault surname appeared 3,700 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Breault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Breault to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Breault

The surname Breault is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the northern regions of France, particularly Normandy and Brittany. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a locational name, derived from the Old French word "broy" or "breuil," meaning a small wood or thicket.

This surname is closely linked to various placenames in France, such as Breuil, Breuillet, and Breuillard, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name likely hailed from or resided near these locations. The name would have initially been used to identify someone from a particular area or village, a common practice in medieval times.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Breault surname can be found in the Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen, a registry of the citizens of Rouen, dated around 1292. This document mentions a certain "Robert Breuaut," providing evidence of the name's existence in the 13th century.

During the Middle Ages, the spelling variations of this surname were abundant, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects. Some examples include Breuault, Breault, Breuault, Brioult, and Briault.

Notable individuals bearing the Breault surname throughout history include:

1. Jacques Breault (c. 1590-1670), a French colonist who settled in Quebec, Canada, in the early 17th century and was among the first habitants (settlers) of New France.

2. Pierre Breault (1655-1728), a French-Canadian farmer and landowner who lived in Beauport, Quebec, and held significant land holdings in the region.

3. Louis Breault (1760-1833), a French-Canadian merchant and entrepreneur who played a prominent role in the development of the fur trade in the early 19th century.

4. Marie-Anne Breault (1824-1905), a French-Canadian educator and founder of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, a Catholic religious congregation dedicated to education and social welfare.

5. Émile Breault (1858-1932), a Canadian lawyer, journalist, and politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1917.

While the Breault surname has its origins in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through French colonial expansions and migrations, with significant populations bearing this name found in Canada, the United States, and other French-speaking regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Breault

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Breault.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Breault was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Breault has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Breault was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Breault, please contact us.

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