Brillant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Brillant

What does the name Brillant mean?

The German surname Brillant is derived from "Brill," the name of a town located in East Friesland. It was a common practice of the time to refer to a new resident of a city by the name of his hometown; thus, it is likely that the progenitor of the name Brillant was a native of the town of Brill who had settled in another region.

Early Origins of the Brillant family

The surname Brillant was first found in East Friesland, where it 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 earliest known bearer of the name was Joh. Priel, who was recorded as living in Ehingen in 1514.

Early History of the Brillant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brillant research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1721, 1759, 1778, 1842, 1846, 1853, 1855 and 1935 are included under the topic Early Brillant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brillant Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Brill, Brille, Brile, Bril, Bryll, Brylle, Bryle, Prill, Prille and many more.

Early Notables of the Brillant family

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

Brillant Ranking

France, the name Brillant is the 4,754^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Brillant family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Johannes Brill and his wife Anna Margaretha, who emigrated from the Palatinate to New York in 1710 with their children Theobald and Anna Eva, Martin Prill, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1727.

Contemporary Notables of the name Brillant (post 1700) +

Dany Brillant (b. 1965), Tunisian-French vocalist
Felix Brillant (b. 1980), Canadian footballer
Lieutenant Jean Brillant (1890-1918), Canadian soldier awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during WW I 2

Sources +

http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
The Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM). (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Jean Brillant. Retrieved from http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/Detail&casualty=575645