Brilliant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Brilliant

What does the name Brilliant mean?

The German surname Brilliant 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 Brilliant was a native of the town of Brill who had settled in another region.

Early Origins of the Brilliant family

The surname Brilliant 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 Brilliant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brilliant 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 Brilliant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brilliant 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 Brilliant family

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

Migration of the Brilliant 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 Brilliant (post 1700) +

Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant (1933-2025), American author and cartoonist, best known for his Pot-Shots, single-panel illustrations with one-line humorous remarks, which began syndication in the United States in 1975
Elizabeth Brilliant (b. 1947), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 2004 1

Sources +

The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html