Show ContentsBreece History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Breece is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when a family lived near a newly cultivated piece of land. The surname Breece is derived from the Old English word bræc. [1]

Early Origins of the Breece family

The surname Breece was first found in Shropshire where Peter de la Breche was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221. A few years later, Peter de la Brach was listed in Surrey in 1248 and Philip atte Breche was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Later again, Rose atte Brache was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Bedfordshire in 1309. Robert le Brechere was listed at Oseney, Oxfordshire in 1245, while William le Brechere was found in Cornwall in 1297. [1]

Early History of the Breece family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Breece research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Breece History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Breece Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Breece family name include Breach, Brech, Britch, Breashears, Breashear and many more.

Early Notables of the Breece family

More information is included under the topic Early Breece Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Breece Ranking

In the United States, the name Breece is the 16,240th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]


United States Breece migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Breece surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Breece Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Jn. Breece, who immigrated to the United States, in 1894
  • Agnes Breece, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1896
Breece Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • William Breece, aged 33, who immigrated to the United States from Ashton-n-lyne, in 1904
  • Jacob Breece, aged 53, who landed in America, in 1908
  • Charles O Breece, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States from Waverly, in 1910
  • Nellie Breece, aged 34, who settled in America from Waverly, in 1910
  • James Breece, aged 43, who settled in America from London, England, in 1914
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Breece (post 1700) +

  • Perry Breece, American politician, Candidate for Supervisor of Walker Township, Michigan, 1921 [3]
  • Oscar Breece, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 1940 [3]
  • John T. Breece, American politician, Dry Candidate for Delegate to Ohio convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 [3]
  • Edward J. Breece (1896-1980), American Republican politician, Member of Wyoming State House of Representatives from Fremont County, 1965; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wyoming, 1972 [3]
  • Bernice Breece, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1937 [3]


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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