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

Breed, 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 Breed surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Breed in America

Breed is the 12407th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Breed surname appeared 2,506 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 Breed.

We can also compare 2010 data for Breed 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 Breed

The surname Breed is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "brædan," meaning "to spread out" or "to breed." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone involved in animal husbandry or breeding livestock.

One of the earliest mentions of the Breed surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which lists a William Breed as a resident of the county. The Hundred Rolls were a census-like record compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insight into the names and occupations of people living in various parts of England at the time.

In the 14th century, the Breed surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, which were tax records documenting the names of those liable for paying subsidies to the crown. This suggests that the Breed family had established a presence in the West Midlands region of England by this period.

The Breed name can also be found in the Hearth Tax Returns of the late 17th century, which were records of households required to pay a tax based on the number of hearths or fireplaces they had. These records provide valuable insights into the geographical distribution of the surname across various counties in England.

One notable individual with the Breed surname was Sir John Breed (1570-1641), a Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury in Dorset during the reign of King Charles I. He played a role in the events leading up to the English Civil War and was a vocal supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.

Another individual of note was William Breed (1660-1728), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Sutton Waldron in Dorset. He published several works, including a treatise on the sacrament of baptism and a defense of the Church of England.

In the 18th century, Thomas Breed (1718-1786) was a prominent merchant and shipowner in Boston, Massachusetts, having emigrated from England to the American colonies. He played a role in the maritime trade and was involved in the sugar and rum industries.

During the 19th century, John Breed (1810-1884) was a noted architect and builder from England who designed and constructed several notable buildings, including the Shire Hall in Gloucester and the Chapel of St. John's College in Cambridge.

Finally, one of the most renowned individuals with the Breed surname was George Breed Loring (1832-1904), an American inventor and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical, portable fire extinguisher in 1881. His invention revolutionized fire safety and paved the way for modern fire-fighting equipment.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Breed

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

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

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

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