Show ContentsBreier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Breier is a German occupational surname that evolved in the region known as the Rhineland. Germans at first used only one name, but population growth and increased travel in medieval times caused confusion between people of the same name, forcing them to adopt hereditary surnames. These names often identified people by the kind of work they did. Breier is a name for a person who made and sold ale or beer.

Early Origins of the Breier family

The surname Breier was first found in the Rhineland and Baden, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Breier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Breier research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1726, 1829, 1842, 1895 and 1925 are included under the topic Early Breier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Breier Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Breier include Brauer, Braur, Brauere, Braure, Brauerre, Braeuer (Silesia and Hessen), Brauers (Rhineland), Breuer, Braeuers, Braeur, Braeurer, Breyer, Breier, Brower (East Friesland), Browers and many more.

Early Notables of the Breier family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Breier Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Breier migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Breier, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Breier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Gustav Breier, aged 30, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Sarah Ann"
  • Bernhd. Breier, aged 4, who landed in America from Bremerhaven, in 1892
  • Bila Breier, aged 28, who settled in America from Hamburg, in 1897
  • Catherine Breier, aged 22, who landed in America from Luxemburg, in 1897
Breier Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Anna Breier, aged 68, who immigrated to the United States from Berlin, Germany, in 1908
  • Chane Breier, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from Skole, Austria, in 1912
  • Cipe Breier, aged 38, who settled in America from Podwoloszyck, Austria, in 1912
  • Adolf Breier, aged 21, who landed in America from Wimmenden, Germany, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Breier (post 1700) +

  • Marcus I. Breier (b. 1913), American Republican politician, Mayor of Amsterdam, New York, 1964-67 [1]
  • Pascal Breier (b. 1992), German footballer


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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