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Brettell Family History

Brettell Surname Meaning

from the Old Breton male personal name Brithael. It was adopted into English usage before the Conquest, becoming Middle English Bretel, Britel, and Brutel. Compare Godwine Brytæl, 1035 in Tengvik (Dorset).

Alternatively, in some instances, it is derived from the Middle English personal name *Bretel or *Bertel, an unrecorded survival of Old English Beorhtel.

This may indicate an alternative pronunciation of Bridle or perhaps Britwell.

Some of the post-medieval bearers cited under (1) may belong here.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Brettell family from?

You can see how Brettell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brettell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brettell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 3 Brettell families living in Alberta. This was about 33% of all the recorded Brettell's in Canada. Alberta and 1 other province had the highest population of Brettell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brettell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Brettell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Brettell. 100% of Brettell men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Brettell | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    100%

What Brettell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Brettell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brettell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Brettell

Passenger Lists

There are 852 immigration records available for the last name Brettell. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Brettell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 872 military records available for the last name Brettell. For the veterans among your Brettell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brettell military records

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What is the average Brettell lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Brettell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Brettell in 1963 was 74, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brettell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brettell ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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