2000
#12,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,355
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Breazeale
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,645 Americans carry the last name Breazeale. That puts it at #12,767 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,586 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breazeale 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
2.6K
1 in 129,586
Census rank
#12,767
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,307 bearers of the surname Breazeale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12767th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breazeale, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breazeale
The surname Breazeale is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bræs" meaning brass and "heal" meaning hall or dwelling, possibly referring to a place where brass was produced or traded.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, where a John Brassale is mentioned. The spelling variations during that time included Brassale, Brassall, Brassell, and Brasshall, reflecting the phonetic adaptations common in those days.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a Thomas Brassall was listed as a landowner in 1479. This suggests that the family may have held some prominence and status in the region.
The Breazeale name is also associated with the county of Devon, where it is believed to have originated from the village of Brassale, now known as Brassell. The earliest known bearer of the name from this area was William de Brassale, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1273.
One notable figure bearing the Breazeale surname was John Brassall, a renowned mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 16th century. He was born in 1558 and is credited with making significant contributions to the advancement of scientific knowledge during the Renaissance period.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Brassall, a prominent Quaker leader born in 1631 in Lancashire. She was known for her unwavering commitment to her faith and played a pivotal role in the early days of the Quaker movement in England.
In the 17th century, the Breazeale family expanded their presence to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded arrivals was Thomas Brassall, who settled in Virginia in 1635, and his descendants went on to establish roots in various parts of the country.
Another notable figure was William Brassall, a renowned artist born in 1710 in London. He was widely acclaimed for his exceptional skill in portrait painting and his works were highly sought after by the aristocracy of his time.
The Breazeale surname has also been associated with several notable military figures throughout history. One such individual was Captain John Brassall, who served with distinction in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the prestigious Military Cross for his bravery in battle.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breazeale
Among Census respondents with the surname Breazeale, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Breazeale 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 Breazeale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 1,922
- Black or African American6.5% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 110
- Two or more races4.1% · 94
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breazeale
Breazeale 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
#12,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,363
+8 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 849 places
2020
#12,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,307
-56 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 227 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,145 | 2,355 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,994 | 2,363 | 0.80 | +8 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 849 places |
| 2020 | #12,767 | 2,307 | 0.77 | -56 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 227 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 Breazeale 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 | #12,994 | #12,767 | 1.7% |
| Count | 2,363 | 2,307 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.77 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breazeale bearers went from 2,363 to 2,307 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 227 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,994 to #12,767.
FAQ
Breazeale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breazeale?
Name Census estimates that about 2,645 living Americans carry the surname Breazeale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,586 residents.
How common is Breazeale?
Breazeale ranks #12,767 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,307 people with the surname Breazeale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,645), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Breazeale.
Has Breazeale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breazeale went from 2,363 recorded bearers to 2,307. That is a decrease of 56 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,994 to #12,767.
What does the Census say about the background of Breazeale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breazeale, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Breazeale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (1,922 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breazeale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Black (6.5%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Breazeale (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 Breazeale mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad clearing." 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 Breazeale (0.77 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 people have the last name Breazeale?
You can see how common the surname Breazeale is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.