Britz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

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 Britz, can appear with either letter, creating both Breitzke and Pritzke. There are several possible origins for the Britz 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 Britz, can also be patronymic, derived from the father of the original bearer. Britz 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 Britz family

The surname Britz 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 Britz family

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

Britz 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 Britz family

More information is included under the topic Early Britz Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Britz Ranking

In South Africa, the name Britz is the 485^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,779 people with that name. 1

Britz migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Britz Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ulrich Britz, who arrived in America in 1749 2
Jacob Britz, who was naturalized in Philadelphia 1798

Britz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christian Britz, who was also naturalized in Pennsylvania in 1805
Christian Britz, aged 33, who arrived in Delaware Bay or River in 1805 2
Michel Britz and his wife and three children immigrated to Brazil in 1872
Jacob Britz in Illinois in 1895

Contemporary Notables of the name Britz (post 1700) +

David Alexander Britz (b. 1980), American scientist and engineer, best known for work in materials science and nanotechnology
Charles "Chuck" Dean Britz (1927-2000), American recording engineer, best known for his work with the Beach Boys from 1962 to 1967
Jerilyn Britz (b. 1943), American professional (LPGA) golfer, winner of the 1979 US Open
Bernhard Rudolf Britz (1906-1935), Swedish Olympic road racing cyclist
Tienie Britz (b. 1945), South African golfer, winner of the South African PGA Championship in 1971

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)