Brandes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The roots of the Brandes family are found in the ancient German duchy of Bavaria. Brandes is one of the most common styles of German surname, that of patronymics and metronymics - names derived from the given names of the father or mother of their original bearers. Brandes is derived from the Germanic personal name Brando, a short form of the various compound personal names containing the element brand, which means sword or fire.

The name may also be a short-form of an old Germanic name such as Brandhart ("fire-strong"), Brandoalt ("fire-powerful", or Hildebrand ("sword-fire"). In many cases, the surname Brandes also derives from a first name, which is shortened from first names such as Hildebrand, Brandhart or Brandold. Brand was a popular short form of Hildebrand in N Germany. 1

Alternatively, the name could have referred to a former resident of one of the multiple localities named Brand. There are thirty-nine villages and towns with the name of Brand in the southern German province of Bavaria alone. A settlement was named Brand usually if it came to be built in an area which had been cleared by fire.

Early Origins of the Brandes family

The surname Brandes was first found in Bavaria, where the family came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. Some of the first records of this name or one of its variants is Ulrich Brant who was a cloth-maker in 1276 and Waltherus de Brant, who was a farmer zu Regensdorf in 1280.

A shopkeeper Brand was listed in Stettin in 1351 and his sons Brand and Brand. As a forename, Brand Krekenoghe was found in Hanover in 1407. 1

Early History of the Brandes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brandes research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1457, 1517, 1521, 1570, 1626, 1685, 1735, 1778 and 1799 are included under the topic Early Brandes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandes Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Brandes include Brand, Brande, Brandde, Brannde, Brandt, Brandte, Brandtes, Brandtte, Brant, Brante, Brend, Brende, Brendde, Brent, Brendt, Braend, Braende, Braendde, Braennde, Braent, Braendt, Brandes, Brandis and many more.

Early Notables of the Brandes family

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

Brandes Ranking

In the United States, the name Brandes is the 9,364^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Brandes migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Brandes surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Brandes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Brandes, aged 33, who arrived in Virginia in 1773 3
Johann Brandes, who arrived in America in 1777 3
Andreas Brandes, who landed in America in 1780 3
Christian Brandes, who landed in America in 1780 3
Conrad Brandes, who landed in America in 1780 3

Brandes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Heinr Brandes, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1808 3
Heinrich Brandes, aged 5, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1845 3
Georg Ludw Brandes, who arrived in Texas in 1845 3
H Brandes, aged 35, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1845 3
F Brandes, who arrived in Texas in 1845 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brandes (post 1700) +

Charles Brandes, American money manager
Ramona Brandes, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Washington, 2004 4
Michael L. Brandes, American politician, Representative from Texas 10th District, 1994 4
Mervyn B. Brandes, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 2012 4
Marie Brandes, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1952 4
Heinrich Wilhelm Brandes (1777-1834), German astronomer, mathematician and physicist
Heinrich Brandes (1803-1868), German landscape painter
David Brandes (b. 1968), German musician
Wilhelm Brandes (1877-1959), Swedish Olympic rower
George Brandes (1842-1927), Danish writer and literature critic
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Brandes family +

Bismarck

Jürgen Brandes (1917-1941), German Oberleutnant zur See who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5
Herbert Brandes (1922-1941), German Feuerwerksgefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details