2000
#31,621
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 691
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Bream
An English surname derived from the Old English word "breme," meaning a type of fish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 805 Americans carry the last name Bream. That puts it at #34,703 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 425,782 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bream 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bream with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
805
1 in 425,782
Census rank
#34,703
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
702
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 702 bearers of the surname Bream in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34703rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bream, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bream
The surname BREAM is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'brem' meaning a bream, a type of freshwater fish. The name likely originated as an occupational surname or a nickname for someone associated with fishing or trading bream.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname BREAM dates back to the 13th century in the county of Gloucestershire, England. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a William le Breme residing in that region.
During the medieval period, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts, often with slight variations in spelling such as Breme, Breem, and Breame. The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct mentions of the BREAM surname, but it does include references to places and settlements that may have influenced the name's origins.
One notable bearer of the BREAM surname was John Bream, a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Salters in London during the 16th century. He was born around 1530 and played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce.
Another individual with the BREAM surname was William Bream, an English clergyman and author who lived in the 17th century. He was born in 1621 and published several works on religious subjects, including a treatise titled "The Glorious Epiphany" in 1670.
In the 18th century, Thomas Bream, a renowned clockmaker from London, made significant contributions to the art of timepiece-making. He was active between 1720 and 1760, and his clocks were highly sought after by the wealthy and aristocratic classes.
The name BREAM has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Bream's Buildings in London, which was a notable street or area named after a person with that surname.
Another notable figure was James Bream, an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club in the mid-19th century. He was born in 1827 and was known for his skill as a right-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and professions associated with the BREAM surname, reflecting its historical ties to occupations, locations, and individuals of significance across various periods in English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bream
Among Census respondents with the surname Bream, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bream 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 Bream surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 659
- Two or more races3.1% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 12
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bream
Bream 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
#33,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 674
-17 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 2,151 places
2020
#34,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 702
+28 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 931 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,621 | 691 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,772 | 674 | 0.23 | -17 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 2,151 places |
| 2020 | #34,703 | 702 | 0.23 | +28 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 931 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 Bream 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 | #33,772 | #34,703 | -2.8% |
| Count | 674 | 702 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.23 | 2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bream bearers went from 674 to 702 (+4.2% change). The surname moved down 931 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,772 to #34,703.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bream
FAQ
Bream surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bream?
Name Census estimates that about 805 living Americans carry the surname Bream. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 425,782 residents.
How common is Bream?
Bream ranks #34,703 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 702 people with the surname Bream. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (805), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Bream.
Has Bream become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bream went from 674 recorded bearers to 702. That is an increase of 28 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #33,772 to #34,703.
What does the Census say about the background of Bream?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bream, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Bream in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (659 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bream appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Bream (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 Bream mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "breme," meaning a type of fish. 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 Bream (0.23 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 have the last name Bream?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Bream at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.