Brenton is an English

place name Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for a proper nam ...

and

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

. The surname Brenton indicates that one's ancestors came from a place called Brenton near

Exminster Exminster is a village west of the Exeter Canal, Exeter ship canal and River Exe in Devon, England, south of Exeter, with a population of 4,379 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. Exminster is an ancient village associated with a A ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, south West England, the original meaning of which was "Bryni's homestead". Bryni was an

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

given name based on the word ''bryne'', "flame". Brenton is now also used as a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

in English speaking countries. It has been one of the thousand most common names for boys born in the United States since 1966. The name can be commonly found in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In Australia it is particularly associated with South Australia, where it has historically been very popular. Its popularity in Australian and the US increased in the 1980s due to the TV miniseries ''

All the Rivers Run ''All the Rivers Run'' is an Australian historical novel by Nancy Cato, first published in 1958. It was inspired by the life of Pearl Wallace, Australia's first river boat Skipper. It was adapted as a 1983 Australian television miniseries sta ...

'', based on the 1958 novel of the same name by

Nancy Cato Nancy Fotheringham Cato (11 March 19173 July 2000) was an Australian writer who published more than twenty historical novels, biographies and volumes of poetry. Cato is also known for her work campaigning on environmental and conservation issu ...

, which contained a character named Brenton Edwards.

Given name

* Brenton Adcock, Australian rules footballer *

Brenton Bersin Brenton Bersin (born May 9, 1990) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He played college football for the Wofford Terriers. Early life Bersin attended Char ...

(born 1990), American football wide receiver * Brenton Best (born 1963), Australian politician * Brenton Birmingham (born 1972), American-Icelandic basketball player * Brenton Bowen (born 1983), Australian rugby league player *

Brenton Broadstock Brenton Thomas Broadstock (born 12 December 1952) is an Australian composer. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day in 2014 for "significant service to music as a composer, educator and mentor". Biography From 1 ...

(born 1952), Australian composer *

Brenton Brown Brenton Gifford Brown Work ID No. 884337863 ISWC No. T9126089325 (born 1 July 1973) is a dual South African and American Christian musician and worship leader. Career Brown joined Vineyard Music (UK), serving as worship pastor at the Oxford Vi ...

(born 1973), South African-American Christian musician * Brenton Cabello (born 1981), Spanish swimmer * Brenton Cox Jr. (born 2000), American football player * Brenton Griffiths (born 1991), Jamaican footballer *

Brenton Grove Brenton Lee Grove (born 9 April 1997 in Melbourne) is a racing driver from Australia. He currently competes in the 2021 GT World Challenge Australia for Grove Racing Grove Racing is an Australian motor racing team that's previously compete ...

(born 1997), Australian racing driver *

Brenton Halliburton Sir Brenton Halliburton (December 27, 1774 – July 16, 1860) was the eighth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. He was the son of John Halliburton. He married the daughter of Bishop Charles Inglis, Margaret Inglis, in 179 ...

(1774–1860), Chief Justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court *

Brenton Harris Brenton Harris (born 9 October 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Harris was selected with pick 20 in the 1986 VFL Draft, one of five players that North Melbour ...

(born 1969), Australian rules footballer * Brenton G. Hayden, American entrepreneur *

Brenton Jones Brenton Jones (born 12 December 1991) is an Australian racing cyclist, who currently rides for Australian amateur team Inform TMX MAKE. Major results ;2012 : 10th Time trial, Oceania Under-23 Road Championships ;2014 : Tour de Singkarak ::1st ...

(born 1991), Australian racing cyclist *

Brenton Klaebe Brenton Klaebe (born 23 October 1966) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Fitzroy in the Australian Football League (AFL) in 1991. He was recruited from the Norwood Football Club in the South Australian National Football Leag ...

(born 1966), Australian rules footballer *

Brenton Langbein Brenton James Langbein, AO (21 January 1928 – 6 June 1993) was an Australian violinist, conductor, and composer. Life Langbein was born on 21 January 1928 in the South Australian town of Gawler to James Langbein, an accomplished pianist who ...

(1928–1993), Australian violinist, composer, and conductor *

Brenton Lawrence Brenton Lawrence (born 29 December 1984) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 2010s. Background Lawrence was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia. Early career Lawrence moved to Adelaide in So ...

(born 1984), Australian rugby league player *

Brenton Raymond Lewis Brenton Raymond Lewis was an Australian physicist, Emeritus Professor at Australian National University from 1979 to 2012. He qualified PhD and DSc at Adelaide University and was a fellow of the Institute of Physics and the American Physical Soc ...

, Australian physicist *

Brenton Miels Brenton Robyn Miels (12 January 1948 – 19 October 1997) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Sturt in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) from 1965 until 1968 and then again from 1970 to 1977 during which time ...

(1948–1997), Australian rules footballer *

Brenton Metzler Brenton Metzler is an American television producer. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle as supervising producer of the HGTV show '' Elbow Room''. He had a leading role in the documentary ''F(l)ag Football'' (2015). Early lif ...

, American producer *

Brenton Parchment Brenton Anthony Parchment (born 24 June 1982) is a Jamaican former professional cricketer. Born in St Elizabeth, he was the West Indies under-19 captain on the side's tour of England in 2001. This team was the only West Indies Under-19 team to ...

(born 1982), West Indian cricketer * Brenton Phillips (born 1962), former Australian rules footballer * Brenton Pomery (born 1973), Australian rugby league player *

Brenton Rickard Brenton Scott Rickard (born 19 October 1983) is a retired breaststroke swimmer from Australia. He emerged at the international level in 2006, swimming at the Commonwealth games. He has captured multiple Olympic and World Championship medals, a ...

(born 1983), Australian swimmer *

Brenton Sanderson Brenton James Sanderson (born 27 February 1974) is a former Australian rules football player and is the former senior coach of the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Career Early career Originally from Adelaide, S ...

(born 1974), former Australian rules footballer * Brenton See, Australian artist * Brenton Strange (born 2000), American football player *

Brenton Spencer Brenton Spencer is a Canadian film and television director and cinematographer. His television credits include '' Earth: Final Conflict'', '' Andromeda'', ''21 Jump Street'', '' Mutant X'', '' Poltergeist: The Legacy'', ''Sanctuary'', ''Stargate At ...

, Canadian film and television director *

Brenton Tarrant Two consecutive mass shootings took place in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. They were committed by a single perpetrator during Friday prayer, first at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, at 1:40p.m. and almost immediately afterwards ...

(born 1990), Australian terrorist *

Brenton Thwaites Brenton Thwaites (born ) is an Australian actor. Beginning his career in his home country in 2011, he had a starring role on the series '' Slide'' and later appeared on the soap opera ''Home and Away''. Since moving to the United States, Thwait ...

(born 1989), Australian actor * Brenton Vilcins (born 1966), Australian rules footballer * Brenton Weyi (born 1990), American writer *

Brenton Wood Alfred Jesse Smith (July 26, 1941 – January 3, 2025), known professionally as Brenton Wood, was an American singer and songwriter. Three 1967 singles of Wood's, " The Oogum Boogum Song" (peaking at No. 34 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100), " G ...

(1941–2025), American singer and songwriter * Brenton G. Yorgason (1945–2016), American novelist

Surname

* Edward Brabazon Brenton (1763–1845), lawyer, judge, and politician in modern-day Canada * Edward Pelham Brenton (1774–1839), British officer of the Royal Navy * Francis Brenton (1927–1971?), British adventurer *

Howard Brenton Howard John Brenton FRSL (born 13 December 1942) is an English playwright and screenwriter, often ranked alongside contemporaries such as Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill, and David Hare. Early years Brenton was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, so ...

(born 1942), English playwright and screenwriter * James Brenton (disambiguation), several people * Sir Jahleel Brenton, 1st Baronet, KCB (1770–1844), British admiral *

Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton, 2nd Baronet (16 February 1807 – 13 June 1862)Leigh Rayment, ''The Baronetage of England, Ireland, Nova Scotia, Great Britain and the United Kingdom'', (accessed 12 Aug 2014). was a British nobleman who transla ...

(1807–1862), translator of the Septuagint * Lynn Brenton (1889–1968), American baseball player * Marianne Brenton (1933–2013), American politician *

Samuel Brenton Samuel Brenton (November 22, 1810 – March 29, 1857) was a U.S. Representative from Indiana; born in Gallatin County, Kentucky. Attended the public schools; was ordained to the Methodist ministry in 1830 and served as a minister; located at Danv ...

(1810–1857), American politician from Indiana * Timothy Brenton (1970–2009), American police officer, murder victim *

Tommy Brenton Thomas Brenton (born May 2, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Stony Brook Seawolves of the America East Conference, where he won the 2013 Lefty Driesell Award, given to the top defens ...

(born 1989), American basketball player *

Tony Brenton Sir Anthony Russell Brenton, (born 1 January 1950) is a former British diplomat. Education Brenton was educated at Peter Symonds' School, a former direct grant grammar school for boys (which subsequently became Peter Symonds College) in Winc ...

(born 1950), British diplomat *

Will Brenton William Brenton is a British Television writer, writer, Television producer, producer and Television director, director who has worked in many areas of television and theatre, primarily through his companies Tell-Tale productions and Wish Films ...

, British writer and producer *

William Brenton William Brenton (c. 1610–1674) was a colonial British statesman who served as colonial President, Deputy Governor, and Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and an early settler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Portsmo ...

(c. 1610–1674), colonial administrator in what is now the United States

References

{{Given name, type=both English toponymic surnames

Given name

Surname

See also

References