2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Breite
A surname originating from the German word for "broad" or "wide".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Breite. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breite 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Breite in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breite, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breite
The surname BREITE originates from Germany, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "breit," which means "wide" or "broad." This surname was initially associated with individuals residing in broad valleys or expansive stretches of land.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often descriptive, reflecting physical characteristics, occupations, or geographic locations. The name BREITE likely emerged as a nickname or a reference to someone living in a wide area or possessing broad physical features.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BREITE can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a person named "Heinrich Breite" in the year 1275.
In the 14th century, records show a nobleman named Johann Breite, who owned vast lands in the region of Thuringia, Germany. His descendants continued to use the surname BREITE, cementing its prominence in the region.
Another notable figure associated with this surname was Hans Breite, a prominent merchant from Nuremberg, Germany, who lived between 1480 and 1548. His successful trading ventures contributed to the city's economic growth during the Renaissance period.
During the 16th century, the BREITE surname gained further recognition when Martin Breite, a skilled clockmaker from Augsburg, Germany, became renowned for his intricate timepieces. His work was highly sought after by European nobility and wealthy patrons.
In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried Breite, a German philosopher and academic, made significant contributions to the field of ethics and moral philosophy. He was born in 1715 and served as a professor at the University of Leipzig until his death in 1788.
Another notable figure was Karl Breite, a German artist and painter who lived from 1835 to 1905. His landscapes and portraiture captured the beauty of the German countryside and its people, earning him recognition among the artistic circles of his time.
While the surname BREITE has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the broad valleys and expansive landscapes of medieval Germany, where it first emerged as a descriptive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breite
Among Census respondents with the surname Breite, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Breite 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 Breite surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breite
Breite 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+7 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,208 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 2,208 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,695 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 Breite 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 | #150,452 | #145,757 | 3.1% |
| Count | 109 | 115 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breite bearers went from 109 to 115 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #145,757.
FAQ
Breite surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breite?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Breite. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Breite?
Breite ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Breite. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Breite.
Has Breite become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breite went from 109 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Breite?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breite, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Breite in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breite appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Breite (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 Breite mean?
A surname originating from the German word for "broad" or "wide". 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 Breite (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 are called Breite?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Breite on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.