Britt
A surname often shortened from forms meaning “Breton” or “from Brittany.”
The #1,115 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,810 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Britt is usually treated as a shortened form of medieval names such as Brit, Brett, Briton, or Brittain. Those forms point back to Old French Bret and related words meaning “Breton” or “a person from Brittany” in northwestern France. In some families it may also reflect an ethnic nickname for someone of Breton origin rather than a direct place-name surname.
History
Medieval English records show many related spellings, including Brit, Brett, Briton, and Brittain, often used for people identified as Breton newcomers. The surname continued in England and later spread widely in Britain and the English-speaking world. In American records, Britt may also be reinforced by independent lines of descent from the same medieval nickname or ethnic label.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley noted that old records contain forms like "le Breton" and "le Brit," showing how directly the surname once pointed to Breton identity.
From the historical record
“bold * (?) Gobion, Gubioun ; a loc. n., Britt. Golofre, Galofer. D.B. Gulaffra, Gulfer. Goulafriere, loc. n. Gower, Goher ; a loc. n. Grammori, Grymward (?)”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)