2000
#14,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,865
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Breece
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "breach" or "broken place" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,047 Americans carry the last name Breece. That puts it at #15,743 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 167,442 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breece 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
2.0K
1 in 167,442
Census rank
#15,743
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,785 bearers of the surname Breece in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15743rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breece, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breece
The surname BREECE has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word 'bræc', meaning 'breach' or 'gap', suggesting a possible connection to a geographical feature or a place name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BREECE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and settlements in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.
Over the centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including BREECE, BRECE, and BREES. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in record-keeping. Some early examples of the name can be traced to places such as Breedon on the Hill in Leicestershire, which was recorded as 'Brigedone' in the Domesday Book.
Notable individuals bearing the surname BREECE throughout history include William BREECE (c. 1550-1618), an English clergyman and author who published several religious works during the Elizabethan era. Another notable figure was John BREECE (1776-1862), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London and surrounding areas.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name BREECE was that of Joseph BREECE (1695-1773), who settled in Virginia in the early 18th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country, contributing to the spread and prominence of the name.
Other notable individuals with the surname BREECE include Samuel BREECE (1772-1849), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War, and James BREECE (1892-1967), a British author and historian known for his works on medieval England.
Throughout its history, the surname BREECE has maintained a presence across various regions, though its origins can be traced back to medieval England and the Old English language. Despite variations in spelling, the name has endured and been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breece
Among Census respondents with the surname Breece, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Breece 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 Breece surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 1,535
- Black or African American4.8% · 86
- Two or more races4.5% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breece
Breece 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
#15,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,962
+97 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 424 places
2020
#15,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,785
-177 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 691 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,628 | 1,865 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,052 | 1,962 | 0.67 | +97 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 424 places |
| 2020 | #15,743 | 1,785 | 0.60 | -177 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 691 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 Breece 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 | #15,052 | #15,743 | -4.6% |
| Count | 1,962 | 1,785 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.60 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breece bearers went from 1,962 to 1,785 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 691 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,052 to #15,743.
FAQ
Breece surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breece?
Name Census estimates that about 2,047 living Americans carry the surname Breece. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 167,442 residents.
How common is Breece?
Breece ranks #15,743 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,785 people with the surname Breece. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,047), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Breece.
Has Breece become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breece went from 1,962 recorded bearers to 1,785. That is a decrease of 177 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,052 to #15,743.
What does the Census say about the background of Breece?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breece, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Breece in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (1,535 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breece appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Breece (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 Breece mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "breach" or "broken place" in Old English. 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 Breece (0.60 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 share the surname Breece?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.