Bretz
A surname most likely tied to a place-name or ethnic label from the German-speaking world.
The #8,867 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,603 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bretz is most plausibly a German surname, probably either a shortened form of a place-based name or a regional nickname related to German dialect forms. In some cases, surnames of this shape can reflect an old place-name element or a person’s origin rather than a direct occupational meaning. The final -z spelling is also compatible with German and German-American surname variation, especially after migration and Anglicization.
History
The name is found among German-speaking and German-descended families, especially in areas of later emigration to North America. As with many short German surnames, its spelling may have varied in records, with Bretz sometimes standing beside related forms such as Pretz or Bretz in older documents. In the United States, the name remains relatively uncommon but is established.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because short German surnames were often reshaped by local record-keepers, the same family line can sometimes appear under more than one spelling in older documents.