2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Breivik
A toponymic surname denoting someone from a place named Breivik in Norway.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Breivik. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breivik 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Breivik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breivik, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breivik
The surname Breivik is of Norwegian origin, originating from the region of Vestland in western Norway. The name can be traced back to the 13th century and is believed to be derived from the Old Norse phrase "breiðr vík," meaning "broad bay" or "wide inlet."
One of the earliest known references to the name Breivik can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval documents dating back to the 12th century. The name is mentioned in several land deeds and legal documents from the Vestland region during the Middle Ages.
The surname Breivik is often associated with the picturesque town of Breivik, located in the municipality of Bømlo in Vestland County. This coastal town likely served as the origin of the surname, with families adopting the name based on their proximity to the broad inlet.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Breivik was Arne Breivik, born in 1452 in the village of Breivik, Bømlo. He was a prominent landowner and fisherman known for his contributions to the local community.
In the 17th century, the name Breivik appeared in several historical records, including the Bergen Census of 1663, which documented several families bearing the surname in the city of Bergen, a major trading hub in western Norway.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Breivik throughout history are:
1. Gunnhild Breivik (1587-1658), a respected herbalist and midwife from the island of Stord, known for her extensive knowledge of traditional Norwegian folk medicine.
2. Nils Breivik (1719-1793), a skilled shipwright and naval architect from the town of Breivik, who designed and built several ships for the Danish-Norwegian Navy.
3. Ingrid Breivik (1845-1923), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who established one of the first schools for girls in Norway.
4. Olav Breivik (1878-1962), a renowned artist and painter known for his vibrant landscapes and seascapes depicting the rugged beauty of western Norway.
5. Knut Breivik (1901-1987), a renowned linguist and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of Old Norse and Scandinavian languages.
While the surname Breivik has its roots in the coastal regions of western Norway, over time it has spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by individuals and families who have migrated to new areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breivik
Among Census respondents with the surname Breivik, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Breivik 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 Breivik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breivik
Breivik 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+19 bearers (+17.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,956 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-24 bearers (-19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 20,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+17.8%) | Up 8,956 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -24 bearers (-19.0%) | Down 20,892 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 Breivik 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 | #133,863 | #154,755 | -15.6% |
| Count | 126 | 102 | -19.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breivik bearers went from 126 to 102 (-19.0% change). The surname moved down 20,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #154,755.
FAQ
Breivik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breivik?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Breivik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Breivik?
Breivik ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Breivik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Breivik.
Has Breivik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breivik went from 126 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 24 (-19.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Breivik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breivik, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Breivik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breivik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Breivik (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 Breivik mean?
A toponymic surname denoting someone from a place named Breivik in Norway. 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 Breivik (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Breivik?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.