2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Breyley
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "broad clearing" or "glade".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Breyley. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breyley 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Breyley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breyley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breyley
The surname BREYLEY is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bræg" meaning "brow" or "ridge" and "leah" meaning "woodland" or "clearing." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a woodland clearing near a ridge or hillside.
In its early days, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Breyley, Brayley, Braylye, and Braylie. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record from 1275, which mentions a John de Braylye.
The BREYLEY name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire, where several villages and hamlets carried variations of the name, such as Brayleys and Braileys. It is possible that the surname originated from one of these place names.
In the 14th century, a notable figure with the BREYLEY surname was Sir John Breyley, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He participated in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.
Another historical figure of note was William Breyley, born in 1512 in Oxfordshire. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who attended Oxford University and later became a rector at St. Mary's Church in Henley-on-Thames.
In the 17th century, Thomas Breyley, born in 1632 in Berkshire, was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
The 18th century saw the birth of Elizabeth Breyley (1745-1823), a celebrated artist and portraitist who was commissioned by many noble families in England. Her works can be found in various art galleries and private collections.
In the 19th century, John Breyley (1801-1879) was a influential industrialist who owned several textile mills in Lancashire. He was known for his progressive views on workers' rights and was instrumental in improving working conditions in the textile industry.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the BREYLEY surname throughout history, showcasing the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breyley
Among Census respondents with the surname Breyley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Breyley 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 Breyley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breyley
Breyley 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-18 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,247 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,839 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 27,247 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 5,839 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 Breyley 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 | #156,044 | #150,205 | 3.7% |
| Count | 104 | 109 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breyley bearers went from 104 to 109 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 5,839 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #150,205.
FAQ
Breyley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breyley?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Breyley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Breyley?
Breyley ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Breyley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Breyley.
Has Breyley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breyley went from 104 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Breyley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breyley, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Breyley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breyley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (4.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Breyley (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 Breyley mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "broad clearing" or "glade". 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 Breyley (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 surname Breyley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.