Explore the Family Name Bree
The meaning of Bree
1. Cornish: from bre ‘hill’ (Brittonic brigā). The name may be topographic, for someone who lived by a hill, or a habitational name from a place so named, such as Brea in Illogan (Cornwall). 2. Irish (Sligo): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Breaghaigh ‘descendant of Breagha’, a byname meaning ‘hill dweller’, from brí ‘hill, height’, genitive breagh. 3. Dutch: nickname for a well-built man, from breed ‘broad’. Compare Debree. 4. French (mainly northern; Brée): from the feminine form of Bré, a nickname for a short man, from Old French brief ‘short’. 5. American shortened and altered form of an unidentified Jewish Ashkenazic surname. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Declan, Dermot, Siobhan. French Germaine, Francoise. Jewish Chana, Meyer, Yaakov.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bree in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname 'Bree' has seen a slight decline in popularity over a decade. In 2000, it was ranked 33,248 but by 2010, it slipped to 34,110 marking a change of -2.59%. Despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals with this surname increased from 648 to 666, showing a growth of 2.78%. However, when measured as a proportion per 100k people, there was a decline from 0.24 to 0.23, indicating a decrease of -4.17%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,248 | #34,110 | -2.59% |
| Count | 648 | 666 | 2.78% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.24 | 0.23 | -4.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bree
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts among those with the Bree surname. The majority identify as White, although the percentage decreased from 91.82% in 2000 to 87.69% in 2010, a change of -4.50%. The figures also show increases in Hispanic and Black ethnic identities, with the Hispanic population rising from 1.85% to 3.30% (a 78.38% increase), and the Black population growing from 5.25% to 6.76%, an increase of 28.76%. In addition, representation from two or more races appeared in 2010 at 1.65%, which was not present in 2000. At the same time, the number of those identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained suppressed for privacy reasons or nonexistent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.82% | 87.69% | -4.5% |
| Black | 5.25% | 6.76% | 28.76% |
| Hispanic | 1.85% | 3.3% | 78.38% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.65% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |