Surname Bretschneider - Meaning and Origin
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Q. Bretschneider
read moreBretschneider: What does the surname Bretschneider mean?
The surname Bretschneider originated in Germany in the medieval period and has many different variations. It is derived from two Old German words, “bret” and “schneider,” meaning “board” and “tailor,” respectively. Together, the two words are combined to form the occupational name, “board tailor” or someone who made garments out of wood boards.
In Germany, a name like Bretschneider would have first been used as an occupational name to describe what the bearer of the name did for a living. As it began to be passed down from generation to generation, it was taken on as a surname. This was very common in modern German surnames, where a person’s occupation served as a surname for his entire family.
In the modern day, the name Bretschneider no longer necessarily refers to someone with a job as a “board tailor.” However, the name may still evoke images of a past era of traditional artisans and craftsmen. As a result, Bretschneider is still a strong, recognizable lot name in Germany and other parts of Europe, even if the origin of the name no longer applies to the people bearing it.
Order DNA origin analysisBretschneider: Where does the name Bretschneider come from?
The last name Bretschneider is widely distributed throughout the world, with the highest concentrations in Germany, the United States, and Canada.
In Germany, the surname Bretschneider is most commonly found in the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein. Many well-known German families bearing this surname can trace their roots back to your Middle Ages, when members of the noble families adopted it as their family name.
In the United States, the last name Bretschneider has its largest concentration in the Midwestern state of Wisconsin, where it is the 88th-most commonly found surname. Other states in which the name is relatively well-represented include Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, New York, and California.
Finally, in Canada, the last name Bretschneider is highly concentrated in Ontario, with significant numbers also in Quebec and Manitoba.
Overall, the last name Bretschneider is relatively common throughout the world and there are likely many people bearing the name today.
Variations of the surname Bretschneider
The surname Bretschneider is of German origin. In German, it translated to "one who makes/cuts/shapes/forges braids/laces".
Variants of the surname Bretschneider include Bretzschneider, Brätschneider, Bretschneiders, and Brezschneider.
It may also have alternate spellings and surnames, such as Bretschnieder, Brätschnieder, Bretschnieders, Brandtschneider, Braendtschneider, Brantschneider, Brantschnieder, Bretzschneida, Bretzschneith, Bretzschneide, Brandtschneider, and Brandtschnieder.
The surname can also vary slightly in German-speaking countries where it is common. In Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol, the variant is Bretschneider and is pronounced Brlass-kneider. In Silesia, where the spelling Brétschneider is more common, the pronunciation is Brlets-kneider.
Bretschneider is also the English form of the Irish surname Brady. Thus, families from Irish descent who have the surnames Brady, Braddy, Bradie, or MacBrady may be related to those of this German name.
The name is reportedly widespread and numerous in Germany, especially around Mecklenburg, Prussia, and Silesia. The name is also reportedly found in Austria, where it is most commonly found in the Upper Austria and Lower Austria provinces.
Furthermore, this family name may also be found in other parts of Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other countries of the world. Immigration records show a large number of people bearing the name of Bretschneider were among those who immigrated from Europe to North America in the late-19th century and early-20th century.
Famous people with the name Bretschneider
- Martin Bretschneider (German actor)
- Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Bretschneider (German chemist)
- Paul Julius Freiherr von Bretschneider (Polish historiographer)
- Karl Bretschneider (German mathematician)
- Ernst Bretschneider (German zoologist)
- Hermann Bretschneider (Swedish botanist)
- Erich Bretschneider (Austrian-German neurologist and psychiatrist)
- Otto Bretschneider (German meteorologist)
- Philipp Bretschneider ( German philosopher)
- Wolfgang Bretschneider (German theologian)
- Reinhold Otto Bretschneider (German press photographer)
- Cuthbert Bretschneider (Polish entomologist)
- Emil Bretschneider (German physician)
- Jessica Bretschneider (American artist)
- William Bretschneider (American football coach)
- Ludwig Bretschneider (German theologian)