Bracewell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Bracewell come from when the family resided in Yorkshire, where they took their name from the village of Bracewell which was originally in the West Riding of Yorkshire, but now in Lancashire. The name was originally rendered in the Old English form Breiorwella, which meant the dweller at the broad-well, and would have been used to denote residence near the village well.

Early Origins of the Bracewell family

The surname Bracewell was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Bracewell and Brogden a civil parish. Bracewell dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Braisuelle, land held by Roger de Poitou. 1

Early History of the Bracewell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bracewell research. Another 260 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1251, 1273, 1379, 1500, 1610 and 1616 are included under the topic Early Bracewell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bracewell Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Bracewell has been recorded under many different variations, including Bracewell, Braycewell, Brasswell, Brasewell and others.

Early Notables of the Bracewell family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

John de Bracewell, a prominent 13th century landholder in Lincolnshire

Bracewell Ranking

In the United States, the name Bracewell is the 16,620^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Bracewell migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bracewell or a variant listed above:

Bracewell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Lillian Bracewell, aged 42, originally from Birmingham, England, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 3
Lilian Bracewell, aged 48, originally from Manchester, England, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 3
Annie Bracewell, aged 21, originally from Halifax, England, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Baltic" from Liverpool, England 3
Roland Bracewell, aged 20, originally from Accrington, England, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Albania" from Liverpool, England 3

Bracewell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bracewell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Bracewell, aged 22, a blacksmith, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rooparell" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Bracewell (post 1700) +

Searcy Bracewell (1918-2003), American lawyer and Texas State politician, founder of the Houston-based law firm Bracewell & Giuliani
Paul Bracewell (b. 1962), English footballer
Dame Joyanne Winifred Bracewell (b. 1934), English lawyer and judge of the High Court of Justice, Family Division
Ronald Bracewell (b. 1921), Australian professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University and author
Michael Bracewell (b. 1958), British writer and novelist
John Garry Bracewell (b. 1958), New Zealand cricketer and coach

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result