Show ContentsBreare History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Breare surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Yorkshire where it is a well known name for many years. The name literally means at the brere, or someone who lived by a briar patch.

Early Origins of the Breare family

The surname Breare was first found in Shropshire,where Walter le Brer was registered in 1255. Early in the history of the family name it branched to Huntingdonshire, where John le Breres was recorded in 1273, and to Oxfordshire, where Richard le Brer was living in 1279. 1

Early History of the Breare family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Breare research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1500, 1612, 1759 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Breare History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Breare Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Breare include Brear, Breare, Brer, Breres, Brere, Brears and others.

Early Notables of the Breare family

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


United States Breare migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Breare Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Breare, aged 12, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1897
Breare Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Betsy Breare, aged 61, who settled in America from Windermere, England, in 1911

Contemporary Notables of the name Breare (post 1700) +

  • J. R. Breare, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Alabama, 1860 2
  • Andy Breare, English broadcaster, producer/presenter for BBC Radio


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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