Family name origins & meanings
- English (West Midlands) : of uncertain origin; possibly a nickname for an unruly child, or somebody who behaved like one, though this sense of brat is not recorded by OED before the 16th century. Alternatively, it may be derived from the older word brat(te) ‘apron’, ‘pinafore’ (of Celtic origin), as a nickname for someone who habitually wore one.
- Swedish and Norwegian : from the Old Norse personal name Brattr meaning ‘majestic’, ‘proud’ (also, of places, ‘steep’). See also Bradt.