Find out how popular the last name Britz is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Britz.
A topographic surname derived from a German or Low German word meaning "brushwood" or "thicket".
Britz, 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 Britz surname is from the 2010 census data.
Britz is the 22201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Britz surname appeared 1,162 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 Britz.
We can also compare 2010 data for Britz 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 22201 | 19852 | 11.17% |
Count | 1,162 | 1,253 | -7.54% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.39 | 0.46 | -16.47% |
The surname Britz is of German origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old German word "bruz," which means "to break" or "to burst." This could suggest that the name may have initially been applied to someone who worked in a profession that involved breaking or bursting, such as a miller or a brewer.
The name Britz is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, specifically in the town of Britz, located near the city of Leipzig. In fact, one of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the church records of Britz from the year 1589, where a certain Johannes Britz was listed as a resident.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Britz began to spread across various parts of Germany, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such person was Johann Britz (1670-1738), a renowned German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.
Another historical figure with the surname Britz was Friedrich Britz (1779-1846), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected military strategist and author of several books on tactics and warfare.
In the 19th century, the name Britz gained some prominence in the field of education. August Britz (1818-1892) was a German educator and school administrator who played a significant role in reforming the education system in Prussia.
As the 20th century dawned, the name Britz continued to be associated with notable individuals. One such person was Erich Britz (1901-1976), a German scientist and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of chemical engineering and held several patents for his innovative processes.
It is worth noting that while the name Britz has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to the surname can be traced back to its German origins.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Britz.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Britz was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 94.92% | 1,103 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.43% | 5 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.29% | 15 |
Hispanic Origin | 2.84% | 33 |
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 Britz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 94.92% | 95.37% | -0.47% |
Black | 0.43% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.48% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 1.29% | 1.28% | 0.78% |
Hispanic | 2.84% | 2.31% | 20.58% |
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 Britz was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Britz, please contact us.
We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.
If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!
<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/britz-surname-popularity/">Britz last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Britz last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 16, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/britz-surname-popularity/.
"Britz last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/britz-surname-popularity/. Accessed 16 July, 2025
Britz last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/britz-surname-popularity/.
Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.
Simple as that.