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

The surname Breitkreuz 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 Breitkreuz family

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

Breitkreuz 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 Breitkreuz family

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


United States Breitkreuz migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Breitkreuz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Justina Breitkreuz, who arrived in New York in 1878
  • Justina Breitkreuz, who arrived in New York, NY in 1878 [1]
  • Wilhelm Breitkreuz, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1878 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Breitkreuz (post 1700) +

  • Brett Breitkreuz (b. 1989), Canadian professional ice hockey player
  • Garry W. Breitkreuz (b. 1945), Canadian politician, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Yorkton-Melville (1993-)
  • Clifford N. Breitkreuz (b. 1940), Canadian farmer and politician, Member of Parliament Yellowhead (1993–2000)


  1. 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)


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