Branche History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Branche is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Branche family lived in the county of Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), where the family can trace its origin to shortly after the Norman Conquest. The surname Branche comes from the Old English word branche, which means branch. While it is unclear as to how this word came to be used as a surname, it may have been a topographical surname type, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree.

Early Origins of the Branche family

The surname Branche was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. The family were from St. Denis de Branche, and the name Braunch appears on the Honour Roll of Battell Abbey of those companions of Duke William Normandy at Hastings.

Early History of the Branche family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branche research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1169, 1238, 1331 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Branche History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branche Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Branch, Branche, Braunche, Braunch and others.

Early Notables of the Branche family

More information is included under the topic Early Branche Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branche migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Branche name or one of its variants:

Branche Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

La Branche, who landed in Louisiana in 1718 1

Branche Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jean Branche, who settled in New York in 1816
Jean Branche, who landed in New York in 1832 1

Branche migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Branche Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

René Branche, who settled in Quebec in 1661
René Branche, son of Jean and Jeanne, who married Marie Varin, daughter of Robert and Marie, in Quebec on 23rd October 1667 2
Marie Varin Branche, who settled in Quebec in 1681

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.