Explore the Family Name Breck
The meaning of Breck
1. Scottish: nickname from Gaelic breac ‘speckled’. 2. Irish: variant of Breakey. 3. English: metathesized form of Berk, see Birks and compare Berks and Brick. 4. German: topographic name related to Middle Low German brāke ‘uncultivated land’, ‘break point in the dyke and the watery land behind it’. See Brack. 5. Norwegian: variant of Brekke. History: Breck was the name of a Massachusetts Bay family prominent in the earliest settlement. Edward Breck settled in Dorchester, MA, in 1636, and died there in 1662.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Breck in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Breck has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Breck was ranked at 27,105 in terms of prevalence, with a count of 840 people carrying this surname. By 2010, the rank dropped to 29,447 with 802 individuals bearing the name, reflecting a decline of 8.64% in its rank and 4.52% in the count. Moreover, the proportion of people per 100k with the Breck surname decreased by 12.9%, going from 0.31 in 2000 to 0.27 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27,105 | #29,447 | -8.64% |
| Count | 840 | 802 | -4.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.31 | 0.27 | -12.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Breck
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides information regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Breck surname. In 2000, 95.60% of those with the Breck surname identified as White, but this percentage declined slightly to 92.89% in 2010. The Hispanic ethnicity saw an increase from 2.98% in 2000 to 3.99% in 2010. There was also a notable rise in the percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races, increasing from 0.71% in 2000 to 1.12% in 2010. Meanwhile, there were no recorded individuals with the Breck surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black in either year. However, by 2010, there was a new entry of 0.87% identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.6% | 92.89% | -2.83% |
| Hispanic | 2.98% | 3.99% | 33.89% |
| Two or More Races | 0.71% | 1.12% | 57.75% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.87% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |