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

Brecht, 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 Brecht surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brecht in America

Brecht is the 13326th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brecht surname appeared 2,289 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 Brecht.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brecht 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 Brecht

The surname Brecht has its origins in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Germanic words "breht" or "brecht," which referred to a bright or shining object, and was likely used as a nickname or descriptive moniker for someone with a radiant or luminous appearance.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Henricus Brecht, a merchant from the city of Cologne, whose name appears in records from the year 1189. In the 13th century, the name can be found in various forms, such as Bregt, Bregth, and Brechte, in documents from the regions of Westphalia and the Rhineland.

The Brecht surname was also associated with several place names in Germany, including Brecht in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brecht in Bavaria. These locations likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the name in their respective regions.

Notably, the Brecht family tree includes several prominent individuals throughout history. One of the most renowned is Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), the influential German playwright, poet, and theatre theorist, whose works, such as "The Threepenny Opera" and "Mother Courage and Her Children," have left an indelible mark on the world of literature and theatre.

Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Brecht (1600-1657), a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of metaphysics. In the realm of music, Karl Gustav Brecht (1826-1870) was a respected German composer and conductor, known for his orchestral works and operas.

The Brecht surname can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Belgium. For instance, Jan Brecht (1593-1647) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, renowned for his still-life paintings and depictions of flowers.

Additionally, the name appears in various manuscripts and chronicles from the Middle Ages, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents related to the history of Saxony, which mentions individuals with the surname Brecht dating back to the 13th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brecht

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

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 Brecht 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 Brecht 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 Brecht was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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