NameCensus.

UK surname

Breese

Derived from a place name meaning "the place of the briars" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 801 people recorded with the Breese surname, ranking it #4,649 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 805, ranked #6,877, down from #4,649 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Llanbrynmair. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys and Gwynedd.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Breese is 922 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.5%.

1881 census count

801

Ranked #4,649

Modern count

805

2016, ranked #6,877

Peak year

1911

922 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Breese had 801 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,649 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 805 in 2016, ranked #6,877.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 922 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Breese surname distribution map

The map shows where the Breese surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Breese surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Breese over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 580 #4,396
1861 historical 487 #5,363
1881 historical 801 #4,649
1891 historical 620 #6,235
1901 historical 777 #5,782
1911 historical 922 #4,858
1997 modern 761 #6,805
1998 modern 820 #6,632
1999 modern 827 #6,626
2000 modern 845 #6,492
2001 modern 813 #6,560
2002 modern 821 #6,634
2003 modern 801 #6,645
2004 modern 802 #6,658
2005 modern 790 #6,666
2006 modern 780 #6,764
2007 modern 786 #6,789
2008 modern 815 #6,640
2009 modern 832 #6,674
2010 modern 835 #6,787
2011 modern 827 #6,757
2012 modern 832 #6,642
2013 modern 841 #6,693
2014 modern 822 #6,826
2015 modern 812 #6,843
2016 modern 805 #6,877

Geography

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Where Breeses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Llanbrynmair, Llanidloes and Kerry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys and Gwynedd. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Llanbrynmair Montgomeryshire
4 Llanidloes Montgomeryshire
5 Kerry Montgomeryshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 006 Powys
2 Powys 010 Powys
3 Powys 004 Powys
4 Gwynedd 017 Gwynedd
5 Powys 007 Powys

Forenames

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First names often paired with Breese

These lists show first names that appear often with the Breese surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Breese

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Breese, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Breese surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Breese household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Breese is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Breese is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Breese falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Breese is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Breese, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Breese

The surname BREESE has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "bres" or "brese", which means "breach" or "gap", often referring to a gap in a hedge or fence. This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive one, given to someone who lived near such a gap or breach.

The name BREESE is first recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176, where a person named Robert Brese is mentioned. It is also found in various other medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where a William Brese is listed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BREESE appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where a John Brese is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surname spellings during that period.

The name BREESE is also linked to various place names in England, such as Breese in Shropshire and Brese in Oxfordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Historically, notable individuals with the surname BREESE include John Breese (born around 1500), a landowner and prominent figure in the English county of Cheshire. Another significant figure was Sir Edward Breese (1620-1692), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1677.

In the literary realm, James Breese (1786-1868) was a Scottish writer and poet, known for his works on Scottish history and folklore. The family name is also associated with military figures, such as Major General Samuel Breese (1794-1872), a distinguished officer in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.

Furthermore, the surname BREESE has been carried by notable individuals in various fields, including Nicholas Breese (1544-1605), an English diplomat and ambassador to Russia, and John Breese (1776-1862), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Representative from Pennsylvania.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Breese families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Breese surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Montgomeryshire leads with 266 Breeses recorded in 1881 and an index of 148.56x.

County Total Index
Montgomeryshire 266 148.56x
Norfolk 122 10.15x
Shropshire 60 8.89x
Staffordshire 53 2.01x
Middlesex 44 0.56x
Warwickshire 43 2.18x
Lancashire 28 0.30x
Denbighshire 27 9.15x
Merionethshire 27 18.88x
Yorkshire 18 0.23x
Surrey 17 0.45x
Suffolk 9 0.95x
Cardiganshire 8 4.20x
Cheshire 8 0.46x
Derbyshire 8 0.65x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.76x
Worcestershire 8 0.78x
Huntingdonshire 7 4.51x
Lincolnshire 7 0.56x
Caernarfonshire 6 1.90x
Glamorgan 6 0.44x
Monmouthshire 6 1.06x
Sussex 4 0.30x
Durham 2 0.09x
Hampshire 2 0.12x
Kent 2 0.08x
Berkshire 1 0.17x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.30x
Cornwall 1 0.11x
Essex 1 0.06x
Herefordshire 1 0.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanbrynmair in Montgomeryshire leads with 44 Breeses recorded in 1881 and an index of 1040.19x.

Place Total Index
Llanbrynmair 44 1040.19x
Llanidloes 32 241.15x
Kerry 26 483.27x
Birmingham 23 3.50x
Mallwyd 22 632.18x
Llanwnog 20 534.76x
Newtown 20 174.67x
Penegoes 19 719.70x
Aston 18 3.32x
Kingswinford 18 18.80x
Cemmes 16 632.41x
Carno 15 638.30x
Llanfair Caereinion 14 229.13x
Clenchwarton 12 670.39x
Clerkenwell London 11 5.96x
West Beckham 11 1375.00x
Norwich St James 10 106.04x
Oswestry Rural 10 96.71x
Stratton Strawless 10 2000.00x
Wrexham Regis 10 45.62x
Bawdeswell 9 750.00x
Croydon 9 4.26x
Ruabon 9 22.18x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 3.22x
Bodham 8 987.65x
Hardingham 8 571.43x
Llanerfyl 8 380.95x
Shrewsbury St Chad 8 33.77x
St Marylebone London 8 1.92x
Aberystwith 7 42.66x
Aylsham 7 97.90x
Bersham 7 55.60x
Blakeney 7 325.58x
Clun 7 146.14x
Farcett 7 366.49x
Kirkby Cum Osgodby 7 700.00x
Machynlleth 7 108.36x
Occold 7 500.00x
Shipley 7 17.42x
Walsall Foreign 7 5.14x
Wood Dalling 7 542.64x
Allerton 6 60.79x
Bettws 6 392.16x
Derby St Alkmund 6 16.37x
Guilsfield 6 92.17x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 6 80.43x
Strelley 6 882.35x
Tref Eglwys 6 122.95x
Whittington 6 106.19x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.47x
Kings Norton 5 5.46x
Moughtrey 5 367.65x
Stapleton 5 724.64x
Thurning 5 1063.83x
Upper Llanvrechva 5 56.95x
Walsall Borough 5 24.43x
Ynyscynhaiarn 5 33.99x
Aberhafesp 4 350.88x
Bishops Castle Out 4 289.86x
Chelsea London 4 1.70x
Eccleshall 4 40.00x
Everton 4 1.35x
Llandinam 4 96.62x
Llangurig 4 93.02x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 3.06x
Moreton Corbet 4 597.01x
Norwich St Lawrence 4 243.90x
Oswestry Town 4 18.50x
Cromer 3 70.26x
Hopesay 3 174.42x
Horton In Bradford 3 2.48x
Llanwrin 3 164.84x
Norwich St Mary In Marsh 3 222.22x
Norwich St Saviour 3 71.09x
Pennington In Leigh 3 16.86x
Petworth 3 38.12x
Tregynon 3 157.89x
West Bromwich 3 1.99x
West Derby 3 1.11x
Westminster St James 3 3.74x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Breese surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 57
Sarah 27
Elizabeth 25
Ann 22
Jane 20
Margaret 17
Anne 14
Hannah 14
Emily 13
Alice 12
Martha 11
Catherine 9
Harriet 9
Emma 8
Annie 7
Charlotte 7
Eliza 7
Ada 4
Edith 4
Ellen 4
Maria 4
Agnes 3
Anna 3
Clara 3
Fanny 3
Florence 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Ruth 3
Caroline 2
Eleanor 2
Elizth. 2
Ellenor 2
Frances 2
Hester 2
Lucy 2
Margarett 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Betsey 1
Celia 1
E. 1
Easter 1
Eliz. 1
Hana 1
Hanah 1
Harriot 1
Jennet 1
Joanna 1
Winefred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Breese surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 60
Thomas 41
William 37
George 26
James 23
Edward 21
Richard 21
Robert 15
Samuel 15
Henry 13
David 11
Alfred 10
Charles 9
Joseph 9
Andrew 7
Arthur 7
Stephen 7
Evan 6
Matthew 5
Wm. 5
Albert 4
Frederick 4
Harry 4
Henery 4
Isaac 4
Richd. 4
Walter 4
Benjamin 3
Griffith 3
Pryce 3
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Reuben 2
Ben 1
Donald 1
Ed.H. 1
Ellis 1
Ezra 1
Fred. 1
Fredrick 1
Hyla 1
Joshua 1
Lloyd 1
Mathew 1
Nathaniel 1
Richd.D. 1
Thos. 1
W.G. 1
W.H. 1

FAQ

Breese surname: questions and answers

How common was the Breese surname in 1881?

In 1881, 801 people were recorded with the Breese surname. That placed it at #4,649 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Breese surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 805 in 2016. That gives Breese a modern rank of #6,877.

What does the Breese surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "the place of the briars" in Old English.

What does the Breese map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Breese bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.