Explore the Family Name Brest

The meaning of Brest

1. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): habitational name from the city of Brest (Belarus). Compare Brisk 1. 2. German: nickname from Middle High German brast ‘boastfulness’. This surname is very rare in Germany. Compare Brester.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Brest in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Brest" has seen a decline from 2000 to 2010. The rank of the surname dropped from 37,938 in 2000 to 47,966 in 2010, showcasing a change of -26.43%. Similarly, the count of individuals with this surname decreased from 550 in 2000 to 441 in 2010, representing a reduction of -19.82%. Additionally, its proportion per 100k people also fell by 25% over the course of a decade.

20002010Change
Rank#37,938#47,966-26.43%
Count550441-19.82%
Proportion per 100k0.20.15-25%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Brest

In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census presents an interesting shift in 2010. In 2000, those identifying as White accounted for 97.64% of the Brest surname holders, but this number slightly dropped to 95.46% in 2010. While no individuals with the Brest surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in both years, there was a significant increase in the proportion of those identifying as Hispanic, from 1.09% in 2000 to 2.72% in 2010. A new entry in 2010 was the category of 'Two or more races', accounting for 1.36% of the individuals with the surname. The Black ethnicity category remained at 0% for both years.

20002010Change
White97.64%95.46%-2.23%
Hispanic1.09%2.72%149.54%
Two or More Races0%1.36%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%