2000
#11,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,613
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Breshears
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with briars or brambles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,077 Americans carry the last name Breshears. That puts it at #11,264 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,392 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breshears 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
3.1K
1 in 111,392
Census rank
#11,264
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,683 bearers of the surname Breshears in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11264th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breshears, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breshears
The surname Breshears is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name that is now lost or obscured by time. The earliest known spelling variations of the name include Breshers, Breshears, and Bressers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Breshears can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record compiled for taxation purposes during the reign of King Edward I. The name appears as Willelmus Bressers, suggesting a family or individual residing in an area known as Bressers.
In the 14th century, the name Breshears appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, indicating the presence of families with this surname in that region. This record is significant as it provides valuable insight into the distribution and spread of the name during the Middle Ages.
Over the centuries, the Breshears surname has been associated with various notable individuals. One such figure was John Breshears (1660-1734), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, England. His legacy includes the establishment of several successful trading ventures and the acquisition of considerable wealth and property.
Another noteworthy bearer of the Breshears name was Elizabeth Breshears (1712-1788), a renowned author and poet from the county of Gloucestershire. Her works, which explored themes of nature and the human condition, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime and continue to be studied by literary scholars today.
In the 18th century, the name Breshears appeared in the records of the British East India Company, with Thomas Breshears (1745-1819) serving as a captain in the company's maritime fleet. He was known for his leadership and navigation skills, contributing to the expansion of British trade routes in the Indian Ocean region.
As the surname spread beyond its English origins, it also found its way to North America. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States was that of William Breshears (1780-1856), a farmer and landowner in the state of Virginia. His descendants went on to establish roots in various parts of the country, carrying the Breshears name forward through generations.
Throughout its history, the surname Breshears has been associated with various occupations and professions, from merchants and landowners to authors and seafarers. While its precise origins may be obscured by time, the name has left an indelible mark on the tapestry of human history, spanning continents and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breshears
Among Census respondents with the surname Breshears, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Breshears 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 Breshears surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 2,340
- Two or more races5.6% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 66
- Black or African American0.7% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breshears
Breshears 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
#11,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,745
+132 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 331 places
2020
#11,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,683
-62 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 205 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,138 | 2,613 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,469 | 2,745 | 0.93 | +132 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 331 places |
| 2020 | #11,264 | 2,683 | 0.90 | -62 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 205 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 Breshears 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 | #11,469 | #11,264 | 1.8% |
| Count | 2,745 | 2,683 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.90 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breshears bearers went from 2,745 to 2,683 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 205 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,469 to #11,264.
FAQ
Breshears surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breshears?
Name Census estimates that about 3,077 living Americans carry the surname Breshears. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,392 residents.
How common is Breshears?
Breshears ranks #11,264 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,683 people with the surname Breshears. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,077), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Breshears.
Has Breshears become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breshears went from 2,745 recorded bearers to 2,683. That is a decrease of 62 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,469 to #11,264.
What does the Census say about the background of Breshears?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breshears, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Breshears in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (2,340 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breshears appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Two or More Races (5.6%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Breshears (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 Breshears mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with briars or brambles. 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 Breshears (0.90 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 common is the surname Breshears?
Find out how many people are called Breshears on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.