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

Breier, 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 Breier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Breier in America

Breier is the 25445th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Breier surname appeared 972 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Breier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Breier 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 Breier

The surname Breier has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "brei," which means "porridge" or "mush." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation related to the preparation or selling of porridge or gruel.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Breier can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Mellicensis, a medieval cartulary from the Melk Abbey in Lower Austria, which dates back to the late 12th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Breier, indicating its presence in the region during that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records and documents across different regions of Germany, including the Staatsarchiv Nürnberg (State Archive of Nuremberg) and the Stadtarchiv Augsburg (City Archive of Augsburg). These records provide evidence of the name's widespread use and distribution throughout the country.

The surname Breier has also been associated with certain place names, such as Breitenau and Breitefeld, which may have influenced its development or variations. Additionally, there are older spellings of the name, including Breyer and Breier, that have been documented throughout history.

Notable individuals with the surname Breier include:

1. Johann Breier (1572-1636), a German theologian and professor at the University of Tübingen.
2. Hans Breier (1888-1962), a German architect known for his work in Berlin during the early 20th century.
3. Theodor Breier (1909-1981), a German actor and film director who appeared in over 60 films throughout his career.
4. Lieselotte Breier (1918-1996), a German athlete who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.
5. Heinz Breier (1928-2002), a German painter and graphic artist known for his abstract and figurative works.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Breier who have left their mark in various fields throughout history, further solidifying the name's German origins and long-standing presence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Breier

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

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

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

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