2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bret
A Celtic surname meaning "from Brittany".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bret. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bret 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bret in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bret, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bret
The surname BRET has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Breton word "bret," which means "Briton" or "Breton." This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by individuals of Breton descent or those who hailed from the region of Brittany in northwestern France.
During the medieval period, the Breton people were known for their distinct cultural identity and language, which was closely related to the Celtic languages spoken in parts of the British Isles. The name BRET likely emerged as a way to distinguish individuals with Breton heritage or ties to the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BRET can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population conducted in England in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This document mentions several individuals with the surname BRET, indicating the presence of people with Breton origins in England during the Norman conquest.
Over the centuries, the surname BRET has undergone various spelling variations, such as Bret, Brett, and Brette. These variations often reflect regional dialects and linguistic influences. Additionally, the name has been associated with several place names in France, including Bretteville, Bretigny, and Breteuil, further reinforcing its connection to the Breton region.
Notable individuals with the surname BRET throughout history include:
1. Jean Bret (c. 1600-1670), a French astronomer and mathematician known for his contributions to celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
2. Gilles Bret (1588-1662), a French painter and engraver known for his religious and historical works, as well as his etchings depicting scenes from everyday life.
3. Antoine Bret (1717-1792), a French composer and violinist who served as the court musician to King Louis XV and later became the director of the Paris Opéra.
4. Jacques Bret (1630-1706), a French Jesuit priest and missionary who traveled to New France (present-day Canada) and worked among the indigenous communities, making significant contributions to the establishment of the Catholic Church in the region.
5. Marie-Armande Bret (1738-1804), a French writer and philosopher who was part of the Enlightenment movement and known for her works on education and women's rights.
These individuals, spanning various fields and time periods, exemplify the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments associated with the surname BRET throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bret
Among Census respondents with the surname Bret, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bret 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 Bret surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 98
- Black or African American6.2% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bret
Bret 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+8 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,861 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-19 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 1,861 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 18,174 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 Bret 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 | #129,047 | #147,221 | -14.1% |
| Count | 132 | 113 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bret bearers went from 132 to 113 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 18,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bret surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bret?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bret. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bret?
Bret ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Bret. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Bret.
Has Bret become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bret went from 132 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bret?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bret, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Bret in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bret appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Black (6.2%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Bret (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 Bret mean?
A Celtic surname meaning "from Brittany". 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 Bret (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 Bret?
You can see how many people have the last name Bret on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.