Show ContentsBrietzke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The letters "b" and "p" are pronounced similarly in the German language, and were virtually interchangeable prior to the standardization of spelling in recent centuries. Thus the surname Brietzke, can appear with either letter, creating both Breitzke and Pritzke. There are several possible origins for the Brietzke surname. There are two towns named Britz in the Brandenburg region. One is a southern suburb of Berlin, the other, a settlement approximately twenty-five miles northeast of Berlin. Either may have inspired the surname. The surname Brietzke, can also be patronymic, derived from the father of the original bearer. Brietzke would then be based upon a short form of the Slavic personal name Pribislaw. Priczlaus and Prinzel were names found in Breslau around 1300, and Preczlaus Kuschmalcz was an episcopal vassal in Silesia in 1404. The surname may also have originated with a nickname, such as "Britsch" which was used to describe a person who was perceived as "bad-tempered" or "irritable."

Early Origins of the Brietzke family

The surname Brietzke was first found in Saxony, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society. Jacobus dictus der Britschen lived in Mainz in 1315, as did Jakob zur Britzen in 1338 and Jekeln Peter Britschen in 1356. Hanss Brittsch was a farmer and a weaver in Kempten in 1575. Valtin Pritzman was a resident of Brandenburg in 1597.

Early History of the Brietzke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brietzke research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1776 and 1853 are included under the topic Early Brietzke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brietzke Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Breitkreitz, Britzke, Breitzke, Breitz, Britz, Britzkretz, Breitkreuz, Britzmann, Bretzmann, Brietzke, Britzkow, Pritzke and many more.

Early Notables of the Brietzke family

Prominent bearers of the family name Brietzke at this time were

  • the Breitkreitz and Brietzke families of Saxony and Prussia...


United States Brietzke migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brietzke Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Carl Brietzke, aged 33, originally from Brietzig, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Dania" from Hamburg, Germany 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Brietzke (post 1700) +

  • Siegfried Brietzke (b. 1952), German gold medalist rower at the 1972, 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics


  1. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


Houseofnames.com on Facebook