Britney is a simplified spelling of Brittany, the name of the region in northwestern France, which means "land of the Britons" after the Celtic settlers who crossed the Channel in the early Middle Ages. Pop star Britney Spears made this spelling famous in 1999 and it rode her success into the top 150. Britney was at number 137 in 2000, left the top 1000 in the following decade and ranks number 1571 in 2025.