Surname Brerton - Meaning and Origin
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Brerton: What does the surname Brerton mean?
The surname Brerton is a name of local origin, believed to come from places in a few different countries. In England, Brerton is a parish in Cheshire and a village in the West Riding of Yorkshire. In Ireland, Brerton is a townland in County Kerry and a barony in County Cork. In France, there is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine Department in Brittany.
Brerton is a variation of the surname Breton, which is thought to be derived from an old French word, “breton”, meaning “British” or “Brittony”. This reflects the Norman invasion of England in 1066 when many French and other Normans settled in towns and villages across the country.
The Brerton surname is also thought to be a variation of the ancient Welsh name, Brwyxa, which is also believed to means “British” or “native of Britain”. This could be due to the second wave of Normans arriving in Britain from Wales.
The surname Brerton is generally associated with a fairly large number of families in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia, as well as other countries. This indicates that the name was popular and could have medieval origins, but no solid evidence of this exists; only speculation and general family information.
Order DNA origin analysisBrerton: Where does the name Brerton come from?
The surname Brerton is mainly associated with the British Isles, particularly Ireland and England. It is a surname of anglo-saxon origin and is believed to have derived from the term 'Burh-tun' which means town enclosure or fortified town.
In Ireland, Brerton is mainly located in the counties of Limerick, Cork, Wexford, Kildare, Carlow, and Dublin. The Brerton family can also trace their heritage to the Irish Gaelic clans O'Brolchain (O'Dirrton) and O'Maolmuadh.
In England, Brertons can be traced to the counties of London, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Kent, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. During the 17th century, the Brerton name began to spread out to the US and Canada.
Today, Brertons can be found all over the world. According to an 2007 genealogical survey of people with the surname Brerton, the highest concentration is located in the United States (over 32%), followed by Ireland (17.4%), the United Kingdom (13.4%), Canada (10.9%), Australia (5.7%), New Zealand (3.2%), South Africa (2.7%), France (1.6%), Germany (0.3%) and the Netherlands (0.2%).
In modern times, the latter forms of the name have become slightly more popular some areas, with the spelling sometimes being changed to Brearton.
Overall, the surname Brerton is still common in the countries of England, Ireland, Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Variations of the surname Brerton
The surname Brerton is a variant of the English surname "Barrett", which originates from a Norman-French personal name, "BERTRAND". It is one of a number of surnames derived from this name, which also include Barrett, Brearton, Barret, Barrette, Baret, Berett, Berrett, Berretta, Bratton, and Berritt.
Barrett is first recorded in England at the beginning of the Middle Ages, with the name being introduced by the Normans shortly after the Conquest of 1066. From its Norman origin, the surname also appears in Scotland in the forms Berret and Berrett. In Ireland, the name Barrett arrived with the Norman invasions in the twelfth century and evolved into Brerton. In Wales, it adopted the Welsh form Barod.
In terms of spelling variants, Brerton is usually spelled as Brearton or Brerton but can also be spelt Baret, Berett, Berrett, Barraett, Berrata, Brattes, and Berrite.
Additioanlly, in Australia the name can be found as Brereton, and other variants include Berretta and Bratton. In the United States, it is often spelled as Bredington or Britten. The name is popular in Canada, usually spelt as Berrett, Beretta or Berritt.
Brerton is an Anglo-Saxon surname, mainly concentrated in the south and midlands of England, but found also in Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada and Australasia, usually in the variant spellings mentioned above.
Famous people with the name Brerton
- Kay Burley: veteran British Sky News journalist.
- Ernst Brerton: German (Austrian-born) composer and music educator.
- Tim Brerton: English opera singer and actor.
- Philip Brerton: Irish actor, director, broadcaster, journalist, travel writer, and sportsman.
- Michael Brerton: English actor who has performed in stage, television, and movie roles.
- John Brerton: English actor, writer, and director, and the youngest of the Brerton brothers.
- William Brerton: English Elizabethan actor, Dowager Countess of Kent in King Lear.
- Edward Brerton: English artist, wood engraver, illustrator, and mapmaker.
- Barry Brerton: English comedian and writer.
- Amy Brerton: British film and television producer.