2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Breznai
A surname potentially derived from a placename or geographic location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Breznai. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Breznai 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Breznai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Breznai, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Breznai
The surname BREZNAI originated in Hungary and its roots can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Hungarian word "brezna," which means "forest" or "wooded area." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or worked in a forested region.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in several Hungarian documents, including a land registry from the village of Brezna, located in the Nógrád County. This indicates that the name may have had its origins in this specific area, and it was likely adopted by families who resided there or had some connection to the village.
The earliest recorded bearer of the name BREZNAI was János Breznai, a Hungarian nobleman who lived in the late 15th century. He was known for his military exploits during the Hungarian-Ottoman Wars and was granted lands in the Zemplén County for his service.
Another notable individual with this surname was Mihály Breznai, a 16th-century Hungarian philosopher and theologian. He was a prominent figure in the Hungarian Reformation movement and authored several works on theology and ethics.
In the 17th century, the BREZNAI name gained prominence in the town of Brezno, located in what is now Slovakia. Juraj Breznai, a renowned goldsmith and metalworker, lived in Brezno during this period and was highly regarded for his intricate metalwork designs.
The 18th century saw the emergence of a notable family of BREZNAI landowners in the Békés County of Hungary. Pál Breznai, born in 1725, was a wealthy landowner and benefactor who supported various educational and cultural initiatives in the region.
In the 19th century, István Breznai, born in 1812, was a prominent Hungarian politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Hungarian parliament and played a significant role in shaping the country's legal system during the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Throughout its history, the BREZNAI surname has been associated with various professions, including nobility, academia, artistry, and politics. While its origins can be traced back to specific regions in Hungary and Slovakia, the name has since spread and been adopted by families in other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Breznai
Among Census respondents with the surname Breznai, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Breznai 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 Breznai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Breznai
Breznai 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-12 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,040 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,516 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 19,040 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 5,516 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 Breznai 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 | #143,149 | #148,665 | -3.9% |
| Count | 116 | 111 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Breznai bearers went from 116 to 111 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 5,516 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #148,665.
FAQ
Breznai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Breznai?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Breznai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Breznai?
Breznai ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Breznai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Breznai.
Has Breznai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Breznai went from 116 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Breznai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Breznai, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Breznai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Breznai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Breznai (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 Breznai mean?
A surname potentially derived from a placename or geographic location. 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 Breznai (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 Breznai?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Breznai at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.