Show ContentsAllbritton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The historic region of Austria is the birthplace of the esteemed surname Allbritton. The name is derived from "Allbritton," a personal name of Teutonic origin, popular in various forms throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, meaning "illustrious." The surname was most likely first borne by the son of one called Allbritton.

Early Origins of the Allbritton family

The surname Allbritton was first found in Austria, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

The name was especially common throughout the Middle Ages owing to the fame of the holy Adalbert of Prague, the archbishop who was martyred in 997 while converting the tribes of Prussia. Albrecht I (1255-1308) was the King of Germany from 1298 to 1308. Albrecht II (1397-1439,) son of Duke Albrecht IV of Austria, was elected German King in 1438, returning the house of Habsburg to the imperial throne after a lapse of 132 years.

Albrecht III "the Pious" (1401-60) was the much-loved Duke of Bavaria, as was his son, Duke Albrecht IV "the wise." These kings and dukes contributed to the popularity of the name.

Early History of the Allbritton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Allbritton research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1604, 1621, 1626, 1631, 1638, 1651, 1657, 1674, 1677, 1752, 1760 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Allbritton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allbritton Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Allbritton include Albrecht, Albrech, Allbrecht, Albrechs, Adalbert, Albert and many more.

Early Notables of the Allbritton family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Allbritton were Albrecht, Marschall von Rapperswil, who was a great Swiss nobleman and poet at the end of the 13th century. Among the many prominent mediaeval troubadours and poets with this name are: Albrecht von Eyb, Albrecht von Halberstadt, Albrecht von Johannsdorf, Albrecht von...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Allbritton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Allbritton Ranking

In the United States, the name Allbritton is the 12,692nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]

Migration of the Allbritton family

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Allbritton were Barbara Albrecht, who settled in Philadelphia in 1732; Gerich Albrecht, who took an oath of allegiance in Pennsylvania in 1732; Andreas Albrecht, a Hessian mercenary who settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia after fighting in the American revolution, Christian Albrecht and his family, who emigrated from Kaiserslautern to New York in 1836.


Contemporary Notables of the name Allbritton (post 1700) +

  • Robert Allbritton, American Chairman/CEO of Allbritton Communications, son of Joe Allbritton
  • Joe Lewis Allbritton (1924-2012), American businessman and publisher who purchased The Washington Star in 1975


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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