2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Breehl
A German/Low German topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a swampy area or marsh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Breehl. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breehl 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Breehl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breehl
The surname BREEHL originates from the German region of Bavaria, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "brehil," meaning "to shine" or "to glow," suggesting that the name may have been associated with individuals who worked with fire or lived near a forge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BREEHL surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, located in the Bavarian Alps. In 1587, a blacksmith named Hans BREEHL is mentioned in these records, indicating the presence of the name in this region during that time period.
During the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of Germany, with several notable individuals bearing the BREEHL surname. In 1632, a merchant named Johann BREEHL is recorded as having traded goods between the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck, highlighting the mobility of individuals with this surname.
As the centuries passed, the BREEHL name also appeared in various historical documents and records. For instance, in the late 18th century, a farmer named Michael BREEHL is listed in the land registry of the town of Bamberg, indicating the name's association with agricultural pursuits.
Notable individuals with the BREEHL surname include:
1. Wilhelm BREEHL (1789-1862), a German philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Leipzig.
2. Anna BREEHL (1821-1892), a German botanist known for her contributions to the study of alpine flora.
3. Karl BREEHL (1858-1932), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
4. Otto BREEHL (1875-1948), a German military officer who served in World War I and later became a prominent businessman.
5. Hildegard BREEHL (1901-1976), a German opera singer who performed at the Berlin State Opera in the 1920s and 1930s.
While the BREEHL surname may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its origins can be traced back to the German region of Bavaria, where it first emerged as a reflection of the occupations and lifestyles of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Breehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Breehl 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 Breehl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breehl
Breehl 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,384 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,384 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 10,266 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 Breehl 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 | #159,712 | #149,446 | 6.4% |
| Count | 101 | 110 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breehl bearers went from 101 to 110 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 10,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #149,446.
FAQ
Breehl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breehl?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Breehl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Breehl?
Breehl ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Breehl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Breehl.
Has Breehl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breehl went from 101 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 9 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Breehl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Breehl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breehl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Breehl (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 Breehl mean?
A German/Low German topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a swampy area or marsh. 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 Breehl (0.04 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 Breehl?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.