Surname Breid - Meaning and Origin
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Breid: What does the surname Breid mean?
The origins of the surname Breid are predominantly found amongst diverse nationalities in the British Isles. It is a topographic surname, which is given to someone who lives by a broad area of land. The name Breid is commonly found in both England and Scotland.
The meaning of the surname Breid is derived from Old English breid, which means broad. This suggests that the original bearer of the name had a broad field of land or pasture near their abode.
The surname Breid is first found in County Angus, a shire in the Northeastern region of Scotland. It was part of the Pictish kingdom conquered by the Scots in 843 AD. Angus is a historic county of Scotland - the one-time Kingdom of Alba turned into the Country of Scotland.
The Breids were probably of Anglo-Saxon or Scottish origin. During the Middle Ages, the surname Breid was distributed throughout Scotland and England. The name evolved into numerous spellings, including Brade, Breeth, Bhraid, Braid and Breid.
The future of the surname Breid is still in development. However, what is known is that the surname Breid continues to be an important element of many early Scottish records, which provides us with a fascinating insight into the history of the Breid family.
Order DNA origin analysisBreid: Where does the name Breid come from?
The last name Breid is common today mainly in Norway and its former colonies. It is one of the most frequently found surnames in Norway, particularly in the Trondheim region. It is also extremely common in the area around the village of Breidvik in northern Norway.
The name may have been derived from the Old Norse forename 'Frídr'. It may have later been adapted to 'Breið' or 'Breid' due to the phonological changes most Scandinavian languages underwent during the Middle Ages. Alternatively, it may have originated from the name of a nearby geographical area or otherwise celebrated landmark.
Outside of Norway, the surname Breid is most commonly found in other Scandinavian countries, but there are also instances of it in Austria, Germany, France, and Belgium. The name is also significantly present among the Norwegian American community of the United States, where it has been recorded in all fifty states.
Variations of the surname Breid
The surname Breid comes from Old Norse and has a variety of variants and spellings. Common variants include Breyd, Breydon, Bret, Brett and Brode, as well as German Breit, Breite, Breith and Breiten. It is believed to originate from the word bretr, which is an ancient form of board or plank. The name is believed to refer to someone who is of strong and solid character. Other variants include braid, breidster, breidstrum, breidt, brette, bryd and brith.
Surnames that are similar in origin to Breid include Braid, Bradley, Braidwood, Bray, Braybrook, Brayden, Braydon, Braidman, Braymer and Breaden. All these surnames likely originated from the Old Norse word bretr and the original meaning of solid character.
In Scotland, the surname Breid has been adopted and anglicized as Breidy, Breeze, Brennan, Breith and Breithaupt. In the United States, variants of Breid include Brade, Braden, Braydon, Breed, Breit, Breithaupt, Britt and Brodhagen.
In Ireland, Breid appears as short surnames such as Creed, Breaden, Breadon and Bree. Some Irish variants include Bredin, Breen, Brehony, Brehon, Brydon and Bryden.
In conclusion, the surname Breid has many variants and spellings due to its ties with Old Norse. Variants include Breyd, Breydon, Brett, Bret, Brode, Breit, Breite, Breith and Breiten as well as Scottish and Irish variations. Other surnames that share similar origins with Breid are Braid, Bradley, Braidwood, Bray, Braybrook, Brayden, Braydon, Braidman, Braymer and Breaden.
Famous people with the name Breid
- Bjørn Breid, Norwegian footballer
- Alic Breid, American actress and singer
- Kim Breid, American software engineer
- Herb Breid, former American football player
- Nicolai Breid, Norwegian architect and furniture designer
- Ingjerd Breid, Norwegian former handball player
- Mathias Breid, Norwegian politician
- Odd Breid, Norwegian former football player
- Kjetil Breid, Norwegian former ski jumper
- Dag Breid, Norwegian former football player
- Dan G. Breid, Norwegian composer
- Ulf Breid, Norwegian former ice hockey player
- Reidar Breid, Norwegian former football player