Find out how popular the last name Brell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Brell.

Brell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Brell surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Brell in America

Brell is the 125639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brell surname appeared 126 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brell.

The history of the last name Brell

The surname Brell is believed to have its origins in Northern Europe, specifically Germany. The earliest use of the name dates back to the early medieval period, around the 12th century. The name is thought to derive from the Old High German word "brello," meaning "bramble" or "brier," indicating a person who lived near or among bramble bushes.

Brell first appeared in historical documents from the Lower Saxony region of Germany. The name was likely occupational or locative, referring to someone residing near a dense thicket. Over time, various phonetic spellings emerged, including Brehl, Brelle, and Brelen, as the name spread across the Rhineland and Bavaria.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brell is found in a 1245 registry of citizens from the city of Bremen, where a Heinrich Brell was documented as a landowner. This suggests that the family had established some prominence within the community. Additionally, a document from 1304 mentions a Gertrud de Brellen, indicating the use of the name in the Westphalia region as well.

By the 15th century, the Brell name had spread to other parts of Germany, including the city of Nürnberg, where a merchant named Johann Brell was recorded in the town's trading records in 1487. His involvement in the wool trade suggests the family had attained a respectable social status.

The name also crossed into the Netherlands during the 16th century. In 1523, a legal document from Utrecht records an individual named Jan Brell as a guild member of the local weavers' association. This migration of the name aligns with the movement of many German tradesmen and craftsmen to the Low Countries during this period.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in France. Historical military records from Lorraine note a soldier, Pierre-François Brell, who served in the regiment of Flanders in 1712. This indicates the presence of the Brell name beyond German-speaking regions and into French territories.

In Austria, the Brell surname also took root. By the late 18th century, a notable figure was Franz Karl Brell, born in 1789, who became a respected composer and violinist in Vienna’s vibrant music scene. His contributions to classical music further highlighted the cultural significance of the name in Europe.

Overall, the surname Brell exhibits a deep and varied history, with roots firmly planted in Germanic soil and branches extending to neighboring regions over the centuries. Its evolution from a locational descriptor to a name associated with various professions and notable individuals illustrates the dynamic nature of surname development.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Brell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Brell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brell, please contact us.

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