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

Breitenstein, 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 Breitenstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Breitenstein in America

Breitenstein is the 19834th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Breitenstein surname appeared 1,355 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 Breitenstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Breitenstein 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 Breitenstein

The surname Breitenstein originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the German words "breit" meaning broad and "stein" meaning stone, referring to a person who lived near a broad or flat stone formation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Anhalt, which mentions a Henricus de Breitenstein in 1285. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Breitenstein name appeared in various chronicles and records across the German states. For instance, a Konrad Breitenstein was documented in the city of Nuremberg in 1347. Another notable record is from the Annales Guelpherbytani, which mentions a Johannes Breitenstein in 1385.

During the 16th century, the name continued to spread across German-speaking regions. One prominent figure was Hieronymus Breitenstein (1520-1567), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, who played a role in the Protestant Reformation. Another noteworthy individual was Hans Breitenstein (1570-1634), a German painter and engraver from Augsburg.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various places, such as the town of Breitenstein in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, which likely derived its name from the same root as the surname. One notable bearer was Johann Michael Breitenstein (1661-1736), a German lawyer and legal scholar from Hesse.

In the 18th century, Johann Jakob Breitenstein (1718-1785) was a Swiss philologist and linguist who studied and documented the languages of various indigenous peoples in North America. He is considered a pioneer in the field of Native American linguistics.

Throughout history, the Breitenstein name has been associated with various professions, including clergy, academics, artists, and tradesmen. While the name originated in Germany, it has spread to other countries over time through migration and intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Breitenstein

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

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

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

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