Show ContentsBrissette History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The French name Brissette originated in the northern coastal region of France known as Normandy. The name Normandy was derived from the settlement and conquest of the territory by ("Northmen") better known as Vikings.

Early Origins of the Brissette family

The surname Brissette was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family first originated, maintaining their status as one of the more distinguished families of the region.

Robert de Brix, companion to Duke Guillaume, was first registered in the region in 1066. The family later received its title of nobility in 1666. The family continued to prosper and was later cited in Fontenay le Comte in the sub-prefecture of Vendée. Nicolas Brisson was recorded in the region in 1431. Other noteworthy family members include a commander of Rivière (in the region of Touraine) in 1404 and Barnabé Brisson, thought to be the most scholarly of men by King Henry III, he was president of parliament in Paris. [1]

Early History of the Brissette family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brissette research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1467, 1531, 1591, 1666, 1810 and 1813 are included under the topic Early Brissette History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brissette Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Brissette is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Brisson, Brison, Brès, Bris, Brix, de Brix, Bresset, Bresson, Bressot, Brice, Brisse, Brisset, Brissonot, Brissonneau, Brissonet, Brissonnet, Brissot, Brissaud and many more.

Early Notables of the Brissette family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brissette Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brissette Ranking

In the United States, the name Brissette is the 15,259th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2] However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Brissette is ranked the 939th most popular surname. [3]


United States Brissette migration to the United States +

France was active as a cultural leader in the early 16th century. One particular area in which they lead was the exploration of the New World. The explorers, like Jacques Cartier in 1534, led the way to North America. Champlain, in 1608, made the first of twenty voyages to France to attract settlers and brought the first migrant in 1617. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec, and the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Brissette has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Brissette were

Brissette Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Henry Brissette, aged 36, who immigrated to the United States, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Brissette (post 1700) +

  • Tiffany Michelle Brissette (b. 1974), former American actress
  • Paul L. Brissette, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1972 [4]


  1. Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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