2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Brethorst
A surname potentially derived from a geographic location or small settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Brethorst. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brethorst 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Brethorst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brethorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brethorst
The surname BRETHORST is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from a place name or a descriptive term for a location.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name BRETHORST can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. This early reference suggests that the name had already established itself in various parts of Germany by that time.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, several families bearing the name BRETHORST were documented in various records and chronicles, such as the Würzburger Hofkalender and the Hohenloher Urkundenbuch. These sources provide insights into the lives and activities of individuals with this surname, shedding light on their occupations, social status, and geographical distribution.
Notable figures with the surname BRETHORST include Hans BRETHORST (1492-1564), a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Nuremberg, who played a significant role in the local economy and politics during the Renaissance period. Another notable individual was Margarethe BRETHORST (1538-1612), a skilled weaver and entrepreneur who established a successful textile business in the town of Augsburg.
In the 17th century, the BRETHORST family gained prominence in the field of academia and theology. Johann Christian BRETHORST (1628-1694) was a renowned Lutheran scholar and professor at the University of Wittenberg, known for his contributions to biblical exegesis and theological discourse.
During the 18th century, the name BRETHORST was associated with several military figures, including Wilhelm von BRETHORST (1712-1786), a Prussian cavalry officer who served under Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War. His valor and leadership on the battlefield earned him numerous honors and distinctions.
As the BRETHORST family spread across different regions of Germany and beyond, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Brethorst, Brethorste, and Brethorsten. These variations often reflected local dialects and linguistic traditions, but they all shared a common origin rooted in the historical significance of this German surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brethorst
Among Census respondents with the surname Brethorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Brethorst 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 Brethorst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 104
- Two or more races6.1% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brethorst
Brethorst 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-16 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,686 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 537 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 22,686 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 537 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 Brethorst 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 | #145,220 | #145,757 | -0.4% |
| Count | 114 | 115 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brethorst bearers went from 114 to 115 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 537 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #145,757.
FAQ
Brethorst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brethorst?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Brethorst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Brethorst?
Brethorst ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Brethorst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Brethorst.
Has Brethorst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brethorst went from 114 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Brethorst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brethorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Brethorst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brethorst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Brethorst (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 Brethorst mean?
A surname potentially derived from a geographic location or small settlement. 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 Brethorst (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 Brethorst?
Want to know how many people are called Brethorst? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.