Breese - Surname Meaning

Find Breese Family Records

Search for Breese Families in the Census

Breese is a Welsh patronymic surname. Before surnames were common in Wales, people were known by patronyms - that is by reference to their male ancestors. For example, Gruffydd ap Helyin ab Owain, means Gruffydd, son of Heylin, son of Owain. Surnames were adopted as English influence increased in Wales. The majority of surnames were derived from patronyms. Thus John ap John, would become John Jones, or sometimes John John. In some cases the 'p' or 'b' from 'ap' or 'ab' was prefixed to the surname., creating surnames such as Bowen (from ab Owen) and Prichard (from ap Richard). Typically surnames beginning with a vowel would be prefixed with a 'b' and surnames that began with constants a 'p'. However, this was not always the case and is the source of surnames such as Bloyd (from ab Lloyd). Thus Breese is derived from a concatenation of 'ab' and the Welsh forename Rhys; and as such the surname is of the same origin as Price, Pryce, Preece and Prys.

It appears the surname arose predominately or only in Montgomeryshire and is heavily connected with the parish of Llanbrynmair, where the Breeses were yeoman farmers with a penchant for inter-marriage. The surname is still common in Montgomeryshire and Shropshire, but today is more often rendered Breeze. Breese family traditions state that there were two Breese families in Montgomeryshire, one being "Y Breesiaid Bloesgion" and rumoured to be French or Flemish in descent, likely changing their name to blend in.

It has also been suggested that this surname could derive from the old English 'breosa', meaning lively, but it appears there is no foundation for this claim.

Early Renderings include:

Elizabth Bryes, widow of Llanbrynmair, 1586, Welsh Probates
Robert Breese, of Poulton, Cheshire, yeoman, 1666, Cheshire Wills

— David Hopkins, written: 2012-2013

Variants of this surname include: Breeze, Brees, Breece, Bryes & Breezes.

Where people with the surname Breese have lived

Breese - Surname Distribution

Breese Distribution in the United Kingdom in 1881

Hover over a county for more details.

No. of People

* Statistics based on the 1881 census of the United Kingdom, Channel Islands & Isle of Man

Highest Incidence of Breeses in UK Counties and Dependencies

Rank	County	No. of People	% of Region
1	Montgomeryshire	266	0.42
2	Norfolk	122	0.03
3	Shropshire	60	0.02
4	Staffordshire	53	0.01
5	Middlesex	44	-
6	Warwickshire	43	0.01
7	Lancashire	28	-
8	Merionethshire	27	0.05
9	Denbighshire	27	0.02
10	Yorkshire	18	-
11	Surrey	17	-
12	Suffolk	9	-
13	Derbyshire	8	-
14	Worcestershire	8	-
15	Nottinghamshire	8	-
16	Cheshire	8	-
17	Cardiganshire	8	0.01
18	Lincolnshire	7	-
19	Huntingdonshire	7	0.01
20	Glamorganshire	6	-
21	Monmouthshire	6	-
22	Caernarfonshire	6	0.01
23	Sussex	4	-
24	Durham	2	-
25	Hampshire	2	-
26	Kent	2	-
27	Essex	1	-
28	Herefordshire	1	-
29	Berkshire	1	-
30	Carmarthenshire	1	-
31	Cornwall	1	-

Show All Counties

Highest Incidence of Breeses in UK Towns

Rank	Town	No. of People	% of Town
1	Llanbrynmair	44	2.78
2	Llanidloes	32	0.64
3	Kerry	26	1.24
4	Birmingham	23	0.01
5	Mallwyd	22	1.69
6	Newtown	20	0.47
7	Llanwnnog	20	1.14
8	Penegoes	19	1.92
9	Kingswinford	18	0.05
10	Aston juxta Birmingham	18	0.01
11	Cemmaes	16	1.69
12	Carno	15	1.71
13	Llanfair Caereinion	14	0.61
14	Walsall	12	0.02
15	Wrexham	11	0.08
16	Croydon	9	0.01
17	Ruabon	9	0.06
18	Stoke upon Trent	9	0.01
19	Llanerfyl	8	1.02
20	Occold	7	1.33
21	Farcet	7	0.98
22	Machynlleth	7	0.25
23	Shipley cum Heaton	7	0.05
24	Aberystwyth	7	0.10
25	Bersham	7	0.15
26	Betws Cedewain	6	1.05
27	Trefeglwys	6	0.33
28	Guilsfield	6	0.25
29	Allerston	6	0.15
30	Ynyscynhaearn	5	0.09
31	Mochdre	5	0.98
32	Kings Norton	5	0.01
33	Westminster	5	-
34	Llanfrechfa	5	0.09
35	Eccleshall	4	0.09
36	Llangurig	4	0.25
37	Aberhafesp	4	0.94
38	Llandinam	4	0.26
39	Everton	4	-
40	Merthyr Tydfil	4	0.01
41	Horton	3	0.01
42	West Bromwich	3	0.01
43	Petworth	3	0.10
44	Tregynon	3	0.42
45	Llanwrin	3	0.44
46	Bury	3	-
47	Weybread	2	0.29
48	Edgbaston	2	0.01
49	Rushall	2	0.03
50	Ardwick	2	0.01
51	Bermondsey	2	-
52	Hulme	2	-
53	Banstead	2	0.05
54	Penllyn	2	0.66
55	Mickleham	2	0.25
56	Aberdovey	2	0.06
57	Wolstanton	2	-
58	Llanllwchaiarn	1	0.03
59	Halifax	1	-
60	Old Swinford	1	0.01
61	Walthamstow	1	-
62	Llanfairfechan	1	0.05
63	Berriew	1	0.05
64	Trawsfynydd	1	0.05
65	Ffestiniog	1	0.01
66	Dudley	1	-
67	Sutton	1	0.01
68	Tettenhall Regis	1	0.02
69	Llangynfelyn	1	0.11
70	Llansilin	1	0.05
71	Castell Caereinion	1	0.17
72	Forton	1	0.18
73	Dolgellau	1	0.03
74	Stansted	1	0.24
75	Brighton	1	-
76	Llangadfan	1	0.11
77	Bromsgrove	1	0.01
78	Stone	1	0.01
79	Kingston upon Hull	1	-
80	Bexley	1	0.01
81	Usk	1	0.05
82	Kingston upon Thames	1	-
83	Llanelli	1	-