2000
#6,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,280
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Brett
An English occupational surname referring to a person who breeds or tends cattle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,777 Americans carry the last name Brett. That puts it at #6,481 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,331 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Brett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,331
Census rank
#6,481
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,038 bearers of the surname Brett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6481st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brett
The surname Brett has its origins in France and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word 'bret', meaning a Briton or someone from Brittany. This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who came from the region of Brittany or had ancestors from that area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brett can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as 'Bret', indicating its Norman-French roots.
In medieval England, the name was often associated with people from Brittany who had settled in various parts of the country. Some early examples include Robert Bret, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, and William Bret, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Berkshire in 1221.
The spelling of the name evolved over time, with variations such as Bret, Brette, and Britt appearing in historical records. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal preferences.
One notable bearer of the surname was Sir Robert Brett (c. 1535-1609), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Henry Bret (1578-1644), an English politician who served as Sheriff of London and Middlesex.
In the 17th century, the name Brett was associated with several notable clergymen, including John Brett (1630-1685), an English clergyman and author, and Richard Brett (1637-1711), an English theologian and controversialist.
As the name spread across England, it became linked to various place names, such as Brett's Hall in Suffolk and Brett's Farm in Kent. These place names likely derived from the presence of families bearing the Brett surname in those locations.
Other notable individuals with the surname Brett throughout history include:
1. John Brett (1831-1902), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of coastal scenes.
2. Walter Brett (1909-1981), an American novelist and screenwriter best known for his work on the film "The Knack...and How to Get It."
3. George Sidney Brett (1876-1942), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire and captained the English national team.
4. Jane Brett (1949-), an American actress known for her roles in films such as "Suspiria" and "Tenebrae."
5. Jeremy Brett (1933-1995), an English actor best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the television series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brett
Among Census respondents with the surname Brett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Brett 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 Brett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 4,456
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 192
- Two or more races3.3% · 166
- Black or African American3.1% · 158
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brett
Brett 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
#6,235
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,482
+202 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.86
Rank movement Down 230 places
2020
#6,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,038
-444 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 246 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,005 | 5,280 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,235 | 5,482 | 1.86 | +202 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 230 places |
| 2020 | #6,481 | 5,038 | 1.69 | -444 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 246 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 Brett 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 | #6,235 | #6,481 | -3.9% |
| Count | 5,482 | 5,038 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.86 | 1.69 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brett bearers went from 5,482 to 5,038 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 246 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,235 to #6,481.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Brett
FAQ
Brett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brett?
Name Census estimates that about 5,777 living Americans carry the surname Brett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,331 residents.
How common is Brett?
Brett ranks #6,481 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,038 people with the surname Brett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,777), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Brett.
Has Brett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brett went from 5,482 recorded bearers to 5,038. That is a decrease of 444 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,235 to #6,481.
What does the Census say about the background of Brett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Brett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (4,456 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Brett (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 Brett mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who breeds or tends cattle. 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 Brett (1.69 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 Brett?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Brett, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.