Brettin last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Brettin

A surname originating from a geographical location named Brettin.

Brettin, 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 Brettin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brettin in America

Brettin is the 100791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brettin surname appeared 179 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brettin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brettin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

20102000Change (%)
Rank100791964804.37%
Count1791752.26%
Proportion per 100k0.060.060.00%

The history of the last name Brettin

The surname BRETTIN is of German origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have originated from the town of Brettin, located in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This place name is derived from the Slavic word "bret," which means "swamp" or "marsh."

In medieval times, surnames often originated from the place where a person was born or lived. The earliest known record of the BRETTIN surname can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and records from the region.

One notable mention of the BRETTIN name is found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of historical documents related to Saxony, which includes references to individuals with the BRETTIN surname in the 14th and 15th centuries.

The first recorded instance of the BRETTIN surname is believed to be Hans Brettin, who was born around 1420 in the town of Brettin. He was a prominent local landowner and is mentioned in several land records from the time.

Another notable figure bearing the BRETTIN surname was Johann Brettin, a German theologian and reformer who lived in the 16th century (1510-1580). He was a follower of Martin Luther and played a role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany.

In the 17th century, Christoph Brettin (1625-1698) was a respected German composer and organist. He served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Eisenach and composed numerous sacred works.

The BRETTIN name also has connections to the town of Brettin, which was once a small but significant center for agriculture and trade. The town's coat of arms featured a marsh or swamp, further reinforcing the connection between the name and its geographical origins.

Another notable figure from history was Friedrich Brettin (1780-1856), a German engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.

Throughout the centuries, the BRETTIN surname has been found across various regions of Germany, with some variations in spelling, such as Brettin, Bretiner, or Brettiner, reflecting local dialects and regional variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brettin

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

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 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brettin was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only97.21%174
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.00%0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin(S)%(S)

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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Brettin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White97.21%94.29%3.05%
Black0.00%0.00%0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0.00%0.00%
Two or More Races(S)%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic(S)%4.57%(S)%

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 Brettin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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