2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brenize
A place name referring to someone from Brenize, a town in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Brenize. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brenize 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Brenize in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brenize, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brenize
The surname BRENIZE has its origins in France, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "brener," meaning "to burn," suggesting a connection to an occupation involving fire or perhaps a place name associated with burning or charcoal-making.
One of the earliest known references to the BRENIZE surname can be found in the records of the Abbey of Fontevraud in Anjou, France, dating back to the late 12th century. The name appears as "Brenize" in these documents, indicating its early usage in the region.
During the 13th century, the BRENIZE name was documented in various locations across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. Some records indicate that the name may have been linked to the village of Brenouille in the Oise department, with variations such as "de Brenouille" or "Brenouillet" appearing in local archives.
Notable individuals bearing the BRENIZE surname include Jean BRENIZE, a merchant from Rouen, mentioned in the city's tax records in the late 15th century. Another early bearer of the name was Pierre BRENIZE, a landowner in the village of Beaumont-sur-Oise in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, the BRENIZE family gained some prominence in the region of Champagne, with Jacques BRENIZE (1622-1691) serving as a respected magistrate and legal scholar in the city of Troyes. His son, Nicolas BRENIZE (1658-1732), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent lawyer and judge in the same city.
Moving into the 18th century, the BRENIZE surname appeared in various regions of France, with records showing bearers in Paris, Normandy, and the Franche-Comté region. One notable figure was François BRENIZE (1734-1819), a renowned painter and portraitist who worked for the French royal court during the reign of Louis XVI.
While the BRENIZE name has spread globally in more recent times, its roots can be traced back to medieval France, where it was likely associated with occupations involving fire or specific geographic locations. The name's long history and diverse bearers have contributed to its enduring presence in France and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brenize
Among Census respondents with the surname Brenize, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Brenize 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 Brenize surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brenize
Brenize 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
+24 bearers (+23.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,381 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,186 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 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +24 bearers (+23.5%) | Up 14,381 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 8,186 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 Brenize 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 | #142,049 | -6.1% |
| Count | 126 | 120 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brenize bearers went from 126 to 120 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 8,186 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,049.
FAQ
Brenize surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brenize?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Brenize. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Brenize?
Brenize ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Brenize. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Brenize.
Has Brenize become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brenize went from 126 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Brenize?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brenize, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Brenize in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brenize appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Brenize (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 Brenize mean?
A place name referring to someone from Brenize, a town in France. 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 Brenize (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 have the last name Brenize?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Brenize? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.