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

Breckenridge, 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 Breckenridge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Breckenridge in America

Breckenridge is the 6814th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Breckenridge surname appeared 4,949 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Breckenridge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Breckenridge 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 Breckenridge

The surname Breckenridge is of Scottish origin, derived from the place name Brechin, a town in Angus, Scotland. The name is thought to have originated in the 12th century and is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "brie" meaning "hill" and "cین" meaning "corner" or "angle."

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a Robert de Brechin was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges to King Edward I of England. The name was also found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, indicating its widespread use in the region.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Breckenridge was Sir David Brechin (1325-1395), a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was granted lands in Angus for his service and became a prominent landowner in the region.

Another significant figure was William Breckenridge (1510-1578), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1572. He played a crucial role in the Scottish Reformation and was a staunch supporter of John Knox's teachings.

In the 17th century, the Breckenridge family gained prominence in the United States when Alexander Breckenridge (1635-1708) emigrated from Scotland to Virginia in 1668. He became a successful plantation owner and his descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country.

One of the most notable Breckenridges in American history was John Cabell Breckinridge (1821-1875), a politician who served as the 14th Vice President of the United States under James Buchanan from 1857 to 1861. During the Civil War, he joined the Confederate Army and served as a general and later as the Confederate Secretary of War.

Another prominent individual with the surname was John Breckinridge (1789-1841), a Presbyterian minister and theologian who served as the president of Jefferson College (now Washington & Jefferson College) in Pennsylvania from 1819 to 1840. He played a significant role in shaping the theological education of the time.

The name Breckenridge has also been associated with various place names, such as Breckenridge, Colorado, a town named after the former Vice President John C. Breckinridge, and Breckenridge County, Kentucky, named in honor of John Breckinridge, the Presbyterian minister and theologian.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Breckenridge

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

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

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

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