Brill
A mostly locational surname, usually linked to the place-name Brill in Buckinghamshire and sometimes to the Dutch town of Brielle/Brill.
The #3,841 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,505 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Brill is generally taken from a place-name. In English usage it is linked to Brill in Buckinghamshire, while some older sources also connect it with the Dutch town of Brill, now usually called Brielle. As with many locational surnames, it would originally have identified someone who came from that place.
History
English surname dictionaries of the 19th century place Brill among local surnames, especially from Buckinghamshire. One older source also gives a Dutch origin, reflecting the fact that similar forms existed in the Netherlands and on the Continent. The name is not especially common, but it has persisted in Britain, the Netherlands, and later in English-speaking countries through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Brill is also the name of a fish, but the surname is not normally connected with the fish word; the historical surname evidence points instead to places.
From the historical record
“thampton. BRILL. A parish In co. Bucks. BRIM. See Bream. BRLSIBLE. O. Norse hrimeJl, a seal ; a Scandinavian personal name. Ferguson. BRBU^IELD. A parish In co. Here- ford. BRINCKMAN. From Hanover with George I.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom