Brisson
A surname most likely tied to the old French personal name Brice/Brisson, with some forms also linked to Saint Brice.
The #9,865 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 94,158 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Brisson is generally treated as a French surname built from an old personal name rather than from a place or occupation. The historical notes point to it as a derivative of Brice/Brisse, and one source specifically connects Brisson with a saint’s name, ultimately related to Latin Brictius. In French surname formation, that kind of derivation often marked descent from or association with an ancestor called Brice.
History
The name appears in medieval and early modern French records, and one historical note identifies Brisson as the surname of Brisson, president of the Parliament of Paris, who was executed in 1594. The surname also spread beyond France, and later bearers appear in English records and in French-speaking regions where Brice/Brisson-type family names persisted. Related spellings such as Brisson, Brissot, and Brisset reflect the same broader naming cluster.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A famous historical bearer was Barnabé Brisson, a prominent French jurist and politician in the late 16th century.
From the historical record
“(possibly Brideson. now Bridson) isearly met with in Henry fiL Brice (.V. 8), and Bamabe Brisson (V. 4). fair,'p. J4«. , „ J „ I 1700. — Alei. Bryum and Haniiab Rred: Sl Ceo. Han. Si), ii, 51.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances