2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Breeser
A Dutch toponymic surname derived from the village of Breeser.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Breeser. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breeser 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Breeser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breeser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breeser
The surname BREESER is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, likely during the 16th or 17th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "breedser," which means "one who broadens or expands." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a craftsman or tradesman, such as a blacksmith or woodworker, who had the ability to broaden or expand materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BREESER can be found in the Dutch city of Dordrecht, where a man named Pieter BREESER was listed in the city's records in 1612. The name was also present in the nearby town of Leiden, where a family by the name of BREESER is mentioned in a local manuscript from the late 1600s.
In the 18th century, the name BREESER began to appear in other parts of Europe, particularly in Germany and England. This was likely due to migration patterns and the movement of people during that time period. One notable individual was Johann BREESER, a German clockmaker who lived in the city of Hamburg from 1725 to 1789.
As the 19th century approached, the name BREESER started to spread across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances in North America was that of William BREESER, who was born in New York City in 1812 and went on to become a successful businessman.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who carried the surname BREESER. One such person was Albert BREESER, a Dutch painter who lived from 1837 to 1911 and was known for his landscapes and historical scenes. Another was Heinrich BREESER, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1868 to 1942 and wrote extensively on the subject of ethics and morality.
In the 20th century, the name BREESER continued to be found across various parts of the world. One notable individual was James BREESER, an American author and historian who was born in 1923 and wrote several books on the history of the American West. Another was Ingrid BREESER, a Swedish actress and model who was born in 1945 and had a successful career in both film and television.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breeser
Among Census respondents with the surname Breeser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Breeser 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 Breeser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breeser
Breeser appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 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 Breeser 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 | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breeser bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Breeser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breeser?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Breeser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Breeser?
Breeser ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Breeser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Breeser.
Has Breeser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breeser went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Breeser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breeser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Breeser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breeser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Breeser (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 Breeser mean?
A Dutch toponymic surname derived from the village of Breeser. 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 Breeser (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 people share the surname Breeser?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.