Brett Family History

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Brett Name Meaning

English and French: ethnic name for a Breton, from Old French bret. The Bretons were Celtic-speakers driven from southwestern England to northwestern France in the 6th century ad by Anglo-Saxon invaders; some of them reinvaded England in the 11th century as part of the army of William the Conqueror. In France and among Normans, Bretons had a reputation for stupidity, and in some cases this name and its variants and cognate may have originated as derogatory nicknames. The English surname is most common in East Anglia, where many Bretons settled after the Conquest. In Scotland it may also have denoted a member of one of the Celtic-speaking peoples of Strathclyde, who were known as Bryttas or Brettas well into the 13th century.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Britt, Bratt, Brent, Frett, Best, Pratt, Brott, Great, Burgett

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Brett Family Origin

Where is the Brett family from?

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You can see how Brett families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brett family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brett families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,322 Brett families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Brett's in the UK. London had the highest population of Brett families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brett surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Brett

Brett Family Occupations

What did your Brett ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, the most common Brett occupation in the UK was Agricultural Labourer. 6% of Brett's were Agricultural Labourers. Agricultural Labourer, Farmer and Labourer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Brett. A less common occupation for the Brett family was Farm Labourer.

View Census data for Brett | Data not to scale

  • Agricultural Labourer

    6%

  • Farmer

    4%

  • Labourer

    3%

  • Farm Labourer

    2%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Brett ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Brett Historical Records

What Brett family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 180,000 census records available for the last name Brett. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brett census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Brett

Passenger List

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Brett. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Brett immigration records

Draft Card

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Brett. For the veterans among your Brett ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brett military records

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Brett Life Expectancy

What is the average Brett lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Brett life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Brett in 1946 was 41, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brett

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brett ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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