Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Breton isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1959. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Breton through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 456
- 456 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1988
- 19 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #12,320 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −33%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 12,320 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 19 in 1988. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 492 as a first name in 2020; 4,037 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Breton’s family of names
Breton has a related form in Brett. In Greek usage, Breton as a surname is a transliteration of Μπρετόν.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Breton, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Brenton
“from the hill”
>99% boys
Sheldon
“from the steep valley”
>99% boys
Brandon
“from the broom or gorse hill”
>99% boys
Johnathon
“God has given” · “a gift of God”
>99% boys
Triston
Triston is a variant of Tristan. One Celtic interpretation is “a sorrowful man; in Arthurian legend, a knight of the Round Table.”
>99% boys
Ramon
“a wise protector”
>99% boys
Jonathon
“God has given” · “a gift of God”
>99% boys
Brendan
“born to royalty; a prince”
>99% boys