An archaic or variant spelling of 'Briton,' referring to a native or inhabitant of Britain. Also used as a proper name or surname.
From Latin Britto, Brittonem, referring to the Celtic inhabitants of Britain before and during Roman occupation. The double 't' spelling represents an older form that was common in Middle English and survives in some surnames and archaic texts.
The variant spelling 'Britton' often appears in historical documents and surnames, preserving an older way of anglicizing the Latin Britto - it's a reminder that standardized spelling is relatively recent and that names often preserve archaic forms long after common words have modernized. Many American families named Britton trace their ancestry to these early spellings.
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