2000
#20,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Briere
A French surname derived from the Norman word for brushwood or brambles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,318 Americans carry the last name Briere. That puts it at #22,886 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 260,056 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Briere 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
1.3K
1 in 260,056
Census rank
#22,886
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,149 bearers of the surname Briere in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22886th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Briere, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Briere
The surname Briere is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "brier," meaning a briar or bramble bush. It likely originated as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near a briar patch or a place where these prickly shrubs grew abundantly.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. These areas were known for their dense forests and thickets, making the nickname "Briere" a fitting descriptor for those residing in such environments.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Briere can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval cartulary dating back to the 12th century. This cartulary contains several mentions of individuals bearing the surname Briere, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.
In the 13th century, the name Briere appeared in the Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen, a register of the citizens of Rouen, a city in Normandy. This record provides evidence of the surname's widespread use and establishment in the region.
One notable individual with the surname Briere was Jean Briere, a 14th-century French architect who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings, including the Palais des Ducs de Bretagne in Nantes, completed in 1388.
Another prominent figure was Étienne Briere, a 16th-century French scholar and humanist who played a significant role in the Renaissance movement. Born in 1524 in Normandy, he was renowned for his contributions to literature and philosophy.
In the 17th century, the name Briere gained further recognition with Pierre Briere, a French naval officer and explorer. He led several expeditions to the West Indies and the Americas, contributing to the expansion of French colonial interests in the region.
The 18th century saw the rise of Jacques Briere, a prominent French lawyer and political philosopher. Born in 1730 in Paris, he was a vocal advocate for civil liberties and played a crucial role in shaping the ideological foundations of the French Revolution.
Finally, in the 19th century, Émile Briere emerged as a renowned French artist and painter. Born in 1867 in Normandy, he was celebrated for his landscape paintings, capturing the natural beauty of the French countryside and coastal regions.
These historical references and notable individuals demonstrate the enduring presence and significance of the surname Briere throughout French history, originating from its humble beginnings as a descriptive nickname for those living near briar patches.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Briere
Among Census respondents with the surname Briere, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Briere 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 Briere surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 1,022
- Two or more races4.6% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 35
- Black or African American1.6% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Briere
Briere 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
#21,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,245
+54 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Down 438 places
2020
#22,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,149
-96 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 1,794 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,654 | 1,191 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,092 | 1,245 | 0.42 | +54 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 438 places |
| 2020 | #22,886 | 1,149 | 0.38 | -96 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 1,794 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 Briere 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 | #21,092 | #22,886 | -8.5% |
| Count | 1,245 | 1,149 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.38 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Briere bearers went from 1,245 to 1,149 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 1,794 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,092 to #22,886.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Briere
FAQ
Briere surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Briere?
Name Census estimates that about 1,318 living Americans carry the surname Briere. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 260,056 residents.
How common is Briere?
Briere ranks #22,886 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 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 1,149 people with the surname Briere. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,318), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 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 Briere.
Has Briere become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Briere went from 1,245 recorded bearers to 1,149. That is a decrease of 96 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,092 to #22,886.
What does the Census say about the background of Briere?
Among Census respondents with the surname Briere, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Briere in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (1,022 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Briere appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Briere (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 Briere mean?
A French surname derived from the Norman word for brushwood or brambles. 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 Briere (0.38 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 Briere?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Briere, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.