Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Brittany

Brittany is the name of a Celtic-speaking region of northwest France. The name comes from the French word “Bretagne” meaning ‘from Briton’ to indicate the Britons from Cornwall and Devon who originally settled there. England (formally Briton) became vulnerable after the Roman military returned to Rome to deal with their own failing Empire in the 5th century and so England would eventually become occupied by Anglo-Saxon Germanic tribes. Upon the establishment of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, the die-hard Celtic people of Cornwall and Devon fled to the northwest region of France and established Brittany as refugees. Today, Brittany remains a cultural province of France and is distinguished as one of the six Celtic nations (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany). After Ireland and Wales, the area known as Brittany has more native Celtic-speaking people than the other Celtic nations. Geographically beautiful, steeped in rich history and culturally vibrant, Brittany remains one of the most interesting regions in Western Europe. As a female given name, Brittany became rapidly popular near the end of the 20th century and was readily used by most English-speaking nations.

All About the Baby Name – Brittany

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME BRITTANY

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME BRITTANY

Brittany first appeared on the U.S. popularity charts in 1971 and quickly became as instant hit. By 1981, the name landed on the Top 100 list of most favored girl names in America. But this was only the beginning of Brittany’s immediate success. The name achieved a spot on the Top 10 list in 1986 making her a clear and fast favorite. In fact, between 1989 and 1991, Brittany was the 3rd most popular female name in the country. Her quick triumph may have been her downfall. As a ϋber-trendy name, Brittany was bound to fall from the charts almost as fast as she ascended it. Although she managed to stay in the Top 10 for 10 straight years (1986-1995), the name would fall off the Top 100 by 2001. Now that we’ve entered the 21st century, Brittany has fallen over 400 spots on the charts making her an afterthought today. What was once red hot has now become passé. Nevertheless, Brittany remains a gorgeous moniker and retains the flexibility of being either a two or three syllable name depending on your preference. Like Jennifer, Heather or Alexis, we consider Brittany a “pretty girl” name. It is also a lovely choice for admirers of the Brythonic branch of the Celtics (Brittany, Cornwall, Wales) rather than the Gaelic branch (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man). We also love the charming pet form Britt for a little girl.

Quick Facts

ON BRITTANY

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

421

PRONUNCIATION:

BRIT-ə-nee, BRIT-nee

SIMPLE MEANING:

From Briton; Region of northwest France

Characteristics

OF BRITTANY

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Brittany

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME BRITTANY

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Brittany

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME BRITTANY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Brittany


Popular Songs

ON BRITTANY

Hey Brittany
a song by Forever the Sickest Kids

Famous People

NAMED BRITTANY

Brittany Murphy (actress)
Brittany Snow (actress)
Brittany Daniel (actress)
Brittany Curran (actress)
Brittany Murphy (actress)
Brittany Snow (actress)
Brittany Daniel (actress)
Brittany Curran (actress)
Brittany Murphy (actress)
Brittany Snow (actress)
Brittany Daniel (actress)
Brittany Curran (actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED BRITTANY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Brittany

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME BRITTANY

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Brittany