2000
#13,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Breeze
An English occupational surname referring to a person who operated a breeze, a sieve used in sifting grain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,529 Americans carry the last name Breeze. That puts it at #13,259 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,530 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breeze 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 Breeze with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,530
Census rank
#13,259
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,205 bearers of the surname Breeze in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13259th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breeze, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breeze
The surname Breeze is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "briz," which means "a gentle wind" or "breeze." This surname may have been initially given as a descriptive name to someone who lived in a breezy area or was known for their calm and gentle demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Breeze surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a person named John Breeze is mentioned. The name also appears in various other historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, which lists a Robert Breeze.
In the 14th century, the Breeze surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. Some early bearers of the name include Thomas Breeze, who was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1332, and John Breeze, who was recorded in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379.
During the 16th century, the Breeze surname began to spread across different regions of England. One notable figure from this time was John Breeze, a scholar and clergyman born in 1520 in Yorkshire. He served as the Vicar of Northallerton and was known for his contributions to the study of theology.
In the 17th century, the Breeze surname continued to be found in various parts of England, including Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. A notable bearer of the name from this period was William Breeze, born in 1635 in Gloucestershire, who served as a member of the English Parliament.
As the centuries progressed, the Breeze surname also spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as families migrated from England. Some notable individuals with this surname include:
1. Charles Breeze (1777-1853), an English engraver and illustrator known for his work on natural history publications.
2. Henry Breeze (1832-1902), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
3. George Breeze (1846-1920), an English architect best known for designing the Admiralty Arch in London.
4. Hazel Breeze (1891-1972), an Australian writer and journalist who published several novels and short stories.
5. John Breeze (1918-2004), an English actor known for his roles in television series such as Coronation Street and Last of the Summer Wine.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the Breeze surname throughout history, each contributing to various fields and leaving their mark in their respective eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breeze
Among Census respondents with the surname Breeze, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Breeze 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 Breeze surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.6% · 1,755
- Black or African American10.8% · 239
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 89
- Two or more races3.9% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breeze
Breeze 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
#13,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,279
+158 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 169 places
2020
#13,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,205
-74 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,201 | 2,121 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,370 | 2,279 | 0.77 | +158 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 169 places |
| 2020 | #13,259 | 2,205 | 0.74 | -74 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 111 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 Breeze 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 | #13,370 | #13,259 | 0.8% |
| Count | 2,279 | 2,205 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.74 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breeze bearers went from 2,279 to 2,205 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 111 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,370 to #13,259.
FAQ
Breeze surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breeze?
Name Census estimates that about 2,529 living Americans carry the surname Breeze. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,530 residents.
How common is Breeze?
Breeze ranks #13,259 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,205 people with the surname Breeze. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,529), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Breeze.
Has Breeze become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breeze went from 2,279 recorded bearers to 2,205. That is a decrease of 74 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,370 to #13,259.
What does the Census say about the background of Breeze?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breeze, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Breeze in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (1,755 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breeze appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.6%), Black (10.8%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Breeze (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 Breeze mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who operated a breeze, a sieve used in sifting grain. 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 Breeze (0.74 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 are called Breeze?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Breeze is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.