Find out how popular the last name Breton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Breton.

Breton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Breton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Breton in America

Breton is the 7682nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Breton surname appeared 4,322 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Breton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Breton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Breton

The surname Breton originated from the Brittany region of northwestern France. It derives from the Breton people, a Celtic ethnic group who migrated from southwestern Britain across the English Channel between the 4th and 7th centuries AD.

The name Breton literally means "Breton" or "Briton" in French, referring to the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Breton people. Their language, Breton, is a Brittonic Celtic language closely related to Cornish and Welsh.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Breton can be found in medieval French records and documents. One notable example is Jehan Breton, a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 14th century.

The Breton surname is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous is André Breton (1896-1966), a French writer, poet, and leader of the Surrealist movement in the early 20th century.

Another prominent individual with the surname Breton was Léon Breton (1724-1808), a French painter and engraver known for his landscapes and historical scenes. He was a member of the French Academy of Fine Arts and received numerous commissions from the French royal court.

In the realm of literature, Jules Breton (1827-1906) was a celebrated French Naturalist painter and poet. He is best known for his depictions of rural life and peasant scenes, capturing the beauty and hardship of the French countryside.

The Breton surname can also be found in the English-speaking world. One notable example is Sir Nicholas Breton (c. 1545-c. 1626), an English poet, novelist, and courtier during the late Renaissance period.

Another individual with the surname Breton was Jacques Breton (1901-1981), a French-Canadian painter and member of the Automatist movement. His surrealist paintings and experimental techniques influenced the development of modern art in Quebec.

While the surname Breton has its roots in the Brittany region of France, it has spread across various countries and cultures over the centuries, reflecting the diverse histories and experiences of those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Breton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Breton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Breton was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Breton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Breton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Breton, please contact us.

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