2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Brezee
A surname of French origin meaning "windy" or "breezy".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Brezee. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brezee 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Brezee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brezee, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%) and Two or More Races (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brezee
The surname BREZEE originates from the Dutch language and is believed to have its roots in the Netherlands, where it first emerged during the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "breezie," which referred to a gentle breeze or light wind, potentially signifying that early bearers of this name may have lived in areas with a prevalent breeze or near coastal regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BREZEE surname can be found in the Dutch province of Zeeland, where it was documented in various municipal records and parish registers from the 17th century onwards. The name was particularly prevalent in the towns and villages located near the Zeeland coastline, supporting the theory of its connection to the maritime environment.
During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, several members of the BREZEE family were recorded in the city of Amsterdam, where they were involved in various trades and professions. Notable individuals from this period include Pieter BREZEE (1679-1743), a prominent merchant and ship owner, and Johanna BREZEE (1712-1787), a renowned artist known for her intricate still-life paintings.
As the Dutch colonial empire expanded, the BREZEE surname also found its way to other parts of the world. In the early 19th century, a branch of the family settled in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), where they established themselves as successful traders and plantation owners. One notable figure from this period was Willem BREZEE (1802-1876), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the city of Batavia (now Jakarta).
Another notable bearer of the BREZEE surname was Jacobus BREZEE (1844-1919), a Dutch military officer who served in the Dutch East Indies and later became a respected author and historian, writing several books on the history and culture of the region.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as migration from the Netherlands increased, the BREZEE surname began to appear in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable individual from this period was Anna BREZEE (1869-1942), a Dutch-American educator and activist who played a significant role in promoting women's rights and education in the United States.
While the BREZEE surname has undergone some variations in spelling over the centuries, such as Breeze, Breezie, and Breezy, its Dutch origins and connection to the maritime environment have remained a consistent thread throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brezee
Among Census respondents with the surname Brezee, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%) and Two or More Races (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Brezee 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 Brezee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.9% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.3% · 10
- Two or more races9.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brezee
Brezee 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-10 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,218 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+8 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,040 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 21,218 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 10,040 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 Brezee 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 | #160,975 | #150,935 | 6.2% |
| Count | 100 | 108 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brezee bearers went from 100 to 108 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 10,040 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,935.
FAQ
Brezee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brezee?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Brezee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Brezee?
Brezee ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Brezee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Brezee.
Has Brezee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brezee went from 100 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 8 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Brezee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brezee, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%) and Two or More Races (9.3%). 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 Brezee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.9% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brezee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%), Two or More Races (9.3%). 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 Brezee (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 Brezee mean?
A surname of French origin meaning "windy" or "breezy". 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 Brezee (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 are called Brezee?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Brezee on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.