Find out how popular the last name Breitling is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Breitling.
A surname likely derived from a place name in Germany.
Breitling, 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 Breitling surname is from the 2010 census data.
Breitling is the 52736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Breitling surname appeared 393 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 Breitling.
We can also compare 2010 data for Breitling 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 52736 | 49366 | 6.60% |
| Count | 393 | 400 | -1.77% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.15 | -14.29% |
The surname Breitling has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the regions of southern Germany, particularly in Bavaria and the surrounding areas.
Breitling is likely derived from the German word "breit," which means "broad" or "wide." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname, possibly given to someone with a broad or sturdy physique or associated with a particular geographical feature such as a broad river or valley.
Historical records indicate that variations of the name, such as Breitling, Breitlinger, and Breitlingen, appeared in various manuscripts and documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable mention is found in the Heidelberg Manuscript, a collection of medieval German literature compiled in the late 15th century, which includes references to individuals with the surname Breitling.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Breitling dates back to the year 1492, when a Johannes Breitling was mentioned in a court document from the town of Augsburg, a prominent city in Bavaria. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Breitling. One of the most famous was Johann Breitling (1701-1776), a German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy. Another prominent figure was Karl Breitling (1833-1901), a German architect known for his work on several iconic buildings in Berlin during the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, the name gained international recognition through the Swiss watchmaker Léon Breitling (1884-1967), who founded the Breitling watch company in 1884. The brand became renowned for its precision timepieces, especially those designed for aviators and the military.
Other notable individuals with the surname Breitling include Hans Breitling (1902-1978), a German composer and conductor renowned for his contributions to contemporary classical music, and Greta Breitling (1921-2003), a Swiss artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings and sculptures.
While the surname Breitling can be found in various regions of Germany and Switzerland, it is also present in other parts of Europe and in countries with significant German-speaking populations, reflecting the migration patterns of individuals bearing this name over the centuries.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Breitling.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Breitling was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 90.84% | 357 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 6.87% | 27 |
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 Breitling has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 90.84% | 93.75% | -3.15% |
| Black | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | 1.75% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 6.87% | 4.00% | 52.81% |
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 Breitling was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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