The Bretons migrated from the region of Brittany in France. They trace their heritage to Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain including Cornwall to avoid invading Germanic tribes. They also descend from the Gauls and in some parts from Vikings. Hence, they are the last vestiges of the ancient Britons.

Large numbers of Bretons migrated to the United States and Canada in the 1950s and 1960s, with many settling in the New York City area, specifically in the East Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens.

Since the early migrations, most have assimilated into mainstream culture. However, some have continued to maintain their people group identity by speaking their mother tongue, Breton, and also adhering to their cultural traditions.

Bretons adhere to Roman Catholicism, if not in practice, in name only.