2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Breneisen
A German surname derived from the old German word "bran" meaning fire and "isen" meaning iron, potentially referring to an iron worker or blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Breneisen. 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 Breneisen 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 Breneisen 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 Breneisen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breneisen
The surname Breneisen is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from a combination of the Germanic words "bren" or "brin", meaning "to burn", and "eisen", meaning "iron" or "metal". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade involving metalworking or blacksmithing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Breneisen can be found in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a historic town in Bavaria, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a certain Konrad Breneisen, a blacksmith who lived and worked in the town during the late 1300s.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various documents and records from the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany, where it is believed that a family bearing the name Breneisen had settled and established themselves as skilled metalworkers and artisans.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several notable individuals with the surname Breneisen emerged. Hans Breneisen (1628-1692) was a respected clockmaker and inventor from the city of Nuremberg, famous for his intricate and ingenious timepieces. Anna Maria Breneisen (1674-1741), born in Heidelberg, was a renowned artist known for her beautiful portrait paintings and still-life compositions.
In the 19th century, the Breneisen family branched out from their traditional metalworking roots, with members pursuing various professions and careers. Johann Breneisen (1810-1888), born in Mannheim, was a distinguished lawyer and politician who served in the Baden state parliament. His cousin, Friedrich Breneisen (1818-1892), was a respected educator and author who published several influential works on pedagogy and educational reform.
Another notable figure from this period was Carl Breneisen (1856-1924), a pioneering engineer and industrialist from Stuttgart. Breneisen played a crucial role in the development of early automotive technology and was instrumental in the founding of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, one of the precursors to the modern-day Mercedes-Benz brand.
While the name Breneisen is relatively uncommon today, it has left an indelible mark on the history and culture of Central Europe, particularly in the fields of metalworking, craftsmanship, and innovation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breneisen
Among Census respondents with the surname Breneisen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Breneisen 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 Breneisen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breneisen
Breneisen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-11 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 8,554 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 Breneisen 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 | #146,201 | #154,755 | -5.9% |
| Count | 113 | 102 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breneisen bearers went from 113 to 102 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 8,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #154,755.
FAQ
Breneisen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breneisen?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Breneisen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Breneisen?
Breneisen 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 Breneisen. 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 Breneisen.
Has Breneisen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breneisen went from 113 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Breneisen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breneisen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Breneisen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breneisen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Breneisen (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 Breneisen mean?
A German surname derived from the old German word "bran" meaning fire and "isen" meaning iron, potentially referring to an iron worker or blacksmith. 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 Breneisen (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 people have the last name Breneisen?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Breneisen at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.