2000
#11,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,399
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Breed
An occupational surname referring to a person who raised or managed livestock, especially chickens or other poultry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,611 Americans carry the last name Breed. That puts it at #12,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breed 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Breed with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 131,273
Census rank
#12,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,277 bearers of the surname Breed in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breed, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breed
Among Census respondents with the surname Breed, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Breed 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 Breed surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 1,844
- Black or African American10.4% · 237
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 89
- Two or more races3.2% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breed
Breed 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
#12,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,506
+107 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 459 places
2020
#12,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,277
-229 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 495 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,948 | 2,399 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,407 | 2,506 | 0.85 | +107 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 459 places |
| 2020 | #12,902 | 2,277 | 0.76 | -229 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 495 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 Breed 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 | #12,407 | #12,902 | -4.0% |
| Count | 2,506 | 2,277 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.76 | -10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breed bearers went from 2,506 to 2,277 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 495 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,407 to #12,902.
FAQ
Breed surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breed?
Name Census estimates that about 2,611 living Americans carry the surname Breed. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,273 residents.
How common is Breed?
Breed ranks #12,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,277 people with the surname Breed. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,611), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Breed.
Has Breed become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breed went from 2,506 recorded bearers to 2,277. That is a decrease of 229 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,407 to #12,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Breed?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breed, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Breed in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (1,844 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breed appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.0%), Black (10.4%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Breed (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 Breed mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who raised or managed livestock, especially chickens or other poultry. 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 Breed (0.76 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 Americans have the surname Breed?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.