Surname Bredin - Meaning and Origin
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Bredin: What does the surname Bredin mean?
The last name Bredin is believed to trace back to the French region of Brittany. It’s thought to be derived from one of two words: breton, the French word for a person from Brittany, or brident, which means to fight. Historically, many of the people bearing this last name have been soldiers or farmers.
The word brident specifically references combat, and that comes from Celtic roots. During Medieval times, many of the people in Brittany were of Celtic descent and as such were fiercely independent and often in competition with their neighbors. This is likely the origin of the last name Bredin — those who were successful soldiers.
In the modern day, the name Bredin is mostly used in France and in places with French communities such as Canada and Louisiana. The name is known for its strength and tenacity, and is an homage to its Celtic and Breton connection. While the name is not common, it can be found all over the world.
Order DNA origin analysisBredin: Where does the name Bredin come from?
The surname Bredin is most commonly found in France today. It is a medieval French name deriving from the Breton tradition, making it likely that it first originated from the historic region of Brittany. However, the name is also found in other parts of the world, particularly in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Bredin is most often encountered in northern England, especially in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
In the United States, immigrants with the surname Bredin first began to arrive in the early 19th century, with some coming directly from France while most trace their heritage to Ireland. From there, the name spread to different parts of the country, with the largest presence today found in the Midwest. Bredins are most commonly found in the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Other countries in which the surname Bredin is found include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India. The majority of Bredins in these countries are of British or French origin, although there are a few with Irish heritage as well.
No matter where in the world it is found, the surname usually indicates a family of French mid-European descent.
Variations of the surname Bredin
The surname Bredin is of English, French, Irish and Scottish descent and is believed to be derived from the name Brent or Brenton which is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name.
Variants of the surname Bredin include Brent, Brennen, Brandin, Braddon, Brand, Breeden, Bradden, Bradden, Branden and Brenden.
Spellings of the surname can vary due to language and regional differences, including; Breeden, Breeding, Breden, Bredin, Briden and Bryden.
Alternative surnames of similar origin include Breding, Bridenstine, Brithain, Britenstein, Britainy, Brizendine, Brahdin, Braddock and Britton.
Most variants and spellings of Bredin are phonetic variations of the original Anglo-Saxon name Brent. As people moved from region to region, the pronunciation and spelling of the surname evolved into many different variants.
The French equivalent of Bredin is Bredon. Other French surnames of the same origin include Bredouille, Bredouillat, Bredouiller, Breduille and Breduillet.
The Irish equivelant of Bredin is Brehony or Breheny which is derived from the Old Irish O’Brehan and O’Brehon.
The Scottish equivalent is Brechin which may also be spelt Brechine, Brechen, Brechyn, or Bretchin.
There are other variants and spellings of Bredin in other countries including; Breidenbach and Breitbacher in Germany, and Brendin in Russia.
Famous people with the name Bredin
- Melissa Bredin: former Canadian Olympic sprinter from British Columbia, best known for competing in the 4x100m and 4x400m relay at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
- Dyce Bredin: Canadian-born theoretical physicist who worked extensively in electron-phonon interactions and superconductivity.
- George Bredin: Canadian barrister, politician who served as a Canadian federal government Minister of National Defence.
- Jean-François Bredin: French Radical politician who served as President of the Constitutional Council of France and Minister of Justice under the government of Pierre Mauroy.
- Bruce Bredin: Canadian painter, sculptor and filmmaker of mixed Métis and non-indigenous backgrounds.
- Ann Bredin: Canadian pianist, teacher, administrator and advocate for the promotion of Canadian composers.
- Pascal Bredin: Canadian Paralympic swimmer and triathlete who competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing and the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.
- Eileen Bredin: American author of young adult paranormal and fantasy novels.
- Andrée Bredin: French artist who painted in the style of naïve art.
- Harry Bredin: British writer and columnist who wrote the best-selling 'Black Sheep' autobiography, as well as fiction and non-fiction books about war, espionage, and great explorers.