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

Brita, 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 Brita surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brita in America

Brita is the 133048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brita surname appeared 127 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 Brita.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brita 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.

The history of the last name Brita

The surname Brita originates from Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "britta" which means "bright" or "shining". The name was initially used as a nickname for someone with a bright complexion or a cheerful personality.

In the early medieval period, the name Brita was primarily found in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and the surrounding areas. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in a 12th-century manuscript from the Benedictine monastery in Regensburg, where a villager named Brita von Landshut is mentioned.

As the name spread across Germany, it underwent various spellings such as Britta, Britha, and Britte. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in official records. By the 14th century, the name had become firmly established as a surname, particularly among the lower classes and peasantry.

One notable early bearer of the surname Brita was Johannes Brita, a Lutheran theologian who lived in the late 15th century (c. 1450-1510). He was known for his writings on the Reformation and his debates with Catholic scholars. Another prominent figure was Christoph Brita (1589-1654), a German military leader who served in the Thirty Years' War.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Brita gained prominence in some parts of northern Germany, particularly in the region around Bremen and Hamburg. This was likely due to the migration of families from southern Germany during this period. In the town of Stade, near Hamburg, a prominent family with the surname Brita was recorded in the local church records from the early 1600s.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johann Brita (1701-1772), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Gotha. His compositions for organ and harpsichord were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.

As the Brita surname spread across Europe, it also found its way into other regions, albeit to a lesser extent. For instance, there are records of individuals with the name Brita in the Netherlands and parts of Scandinavia, likely due to trade and migration patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brita

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

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 Brita 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.

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

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

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

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