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

Britt, 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 Britt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Britt in America

Britt is the 1115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Britt surname appeared 31,474 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 11 people would have the surname Britt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Britt 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 Britt

The surname Britt has its origins in England, first appearing in the medieval period between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "Brit" or "Briton," referring to the native inhabitants of Britain before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and Normans.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Britt can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Brita" or "Britta," indicating that it was already in use by that time.

The name Britt was likely adopted as a surname by individuals who were either of Briton descent or lived in areas with a strong Briton influence. Some variations of the spelling include Britt, Britte, Brite, and Bryte, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred over time.

One notable historical figure with the surname Britt was Sir Richard Britt, a British naval officer who lived in the late 16th century and played a significant role in the Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604). Another prominent individual was John Britt, an English clergyman born in 1616, who served as the Dean of Arches and was involved in ecclesiastical law and administration.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Britt was particularly prevalent in counties such as Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall, which had a strong Briton heritage. In fact, some place names in these areas, like Brittville and Brittany, are thought to be derived from the same root as the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Britt include Nathaniel Britt (1675-1737), an English mathematician and author known for his work on navigation and nautical astronomy, and William Britt (1801-1863), a British sailor who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several significant naval battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

As the name Britt spread throughout England and later to other parts of the world through emigration, it continued to be used as a surname, with various families and individuals carrying on the legacy and contributing to the rich tapestry of history associated with this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Britt

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

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

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

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