Contents [hide]

Brandon History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Brandon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The lineage of the name Brandon begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in one of the settlements named Brandon in Durham, Norfolk, Suffolk, or Warwickshire, or in Brundon in Essex.

Early Origins of the Brandon family

The surname Brandon was first found in one of the many villages named Brandon or Brendon in England. The place names are frequent due to the literal origin of "hill where broom grows," from the Old English "brom" + "dun." 1

The oldest place name was Brandon, Lincolnshire which dates back to 1060 while the Suffolk, Warwickshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire locals are all listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 with various spellings used at that time: Brandona, Suffolk; Brandune, Warwickshire; Brandun, Norfolk; and Brandune, Lincolnshire. 2

Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG (c.1484-1545) lived in Westhorpe, Suffolk. "The Hall, a noble mansion, at one time the residence of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, was taken down about the middle of the last century; his royal consort, Mary, died here in 1533." 3

The same Duke of Suffolk also held lands and a family seat at Beckenham in Kent. "In the reign of Henry VIII., Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, entertained that monarch when on his journey to visit Anne of Cleves, with great pomp, at the manor-house." 3

There are many more notables of the name but for now we must pause to mention Richard Brandon (d. 1649) as he was the executioner of Charles I. He was the son of Gregory Brandon, a common hangman of London in the early part of the seventeenth century. 4

Early History of the Brandon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brandon research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1484, 1485, 1514, 1516, 1517, 1519, 1534, 1535, 1537, 1545, 1547, 1551, 1559, 1649 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Brandon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandon Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Brandon has undergone many spelling variations, including Brandon, Branden, Brandan and others.

Early Notables of the Brandon family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir William Brandon (d. 1485), who was Henry Tudor's standard-bearer at the Battle of Bosworth
his son Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle (c.1484-1545), brother-in-law to Henry VIII
Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1516-1534)
Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk (1517-1559), maiden name Lady Frances Brandon, niece of Henry VIII
Lady Eleanor Brandon (1519-1547), the third child and second daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (1535-1551), son of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Catherine Willoughby
Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk (c. 1537- 1551), he died of the sweating sickness becoming the record holder for the shortest tenure of a British peerage

Brandon Ranking

In the United States, the name Brandon is the 1,127^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Brandon family to Ireland

Some of the Brandon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandon migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Brandon were among those contributors:

Brandon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Martin Brandon, who settled in Virginia in 1626
William Brandon, who settled in Connecticut in 1630
William Brandon, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 6

Brandon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Brandon, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1715
John Brandon, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1716 6
William Brandon, who landed in America in 1774 6

Brandon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Brandon, aged 18, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1804 6
Thomas Brandon, aged 4, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1804 6
Jane Brandon, aged 6, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1804 6
Christopher Brandon, aged 8, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1804 6
Isabella Brandon, aged 10, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1804 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brandon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brandon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Brandon, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Billow" in 1833

Brandon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Brandon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Brandon, (b. 1800), aged 16, English labourer who was convicted in Buckinghamshire, England for life for stealing sheep, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1873 7
Miss Margaret Brandon, (b. 1802), aged 29, English laundress who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 31st December 1831, arriving in New South Wales, listed as having 2 children on board 8
Thomas Brandon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Lilford" in 1839 9
Mary Brandon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1851 10
Caroline Brandon, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1851 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brandon 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:

Brandon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alfred de Bathe Brandon, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship London
Alfred de Bathe Brandon, aged 31, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
Constance Mary Anne Brandon, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
Miss Mary Jane Brandon, (b. 1865), aged 1, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 5th January 1867 11
Mrs. Ellen Brandon, (b. 1830), aged 36, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 5th January 1867 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brandon migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12

Brandon Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Hugh Brandon, who settled in Barbados with his wife and servants in 1680

Brandon Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Jacob Pinto Brandon, who arrived in Jamaica in 1740 6
Jacob Brandon, who arrived in Jamaica in 1741 6
Esther Pinto Brandon, who landed in Jamaica in 1745 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Brandon (post 1700) +

Charlie Brandon (1943-2022), American award-winning, all-star and Grey Cup champion lineman in the Canadian Football League
Harry B. "Skip" Brandon, American co-founder of Smith Brandon International, Inc, an American boutique corporate investigations and risk consulting firm in 1996
Gerard Chittocque Brandon (1788-1850), American politician, 4th & 6th Governor of Mississippi (1825-1826) and (1826-1832)
Gennifer Diane Brandon (b. 1990), American professional basketball player
Edgar Ewing Brandon (1865-1957), American professor of French and college administrator, two-time acting president of Miami University (1909-10 and 1927-28)
David Allen "Dave" Brandon (b. 1952), American businessman and the chief executive officer of Toys "R" Us
Brent D. Brandon (b. 1960), former U.S. Air Force officer and Electronic Warfare Officer
James Rodger Brandon (1927-2015), American academic, professor of Asian theater specializing in Kabuki and Sanskrit theater at the University of Hawaii
William W. Brandon (1868-1934), American politician, 37th Governor of Alabama (1923-1927)
Warren Eugene Brandon (1916-1977), American painter and photographer
... (Another 40 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Brandon family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Vernon Gething Brandon (1883-1914), English First Class Passenger from Manchester, England, United Kingdom who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 13

HMS Hood

Mr. Albert A Brandon (b. 1914), Scottish Ordinary Telegraphist serving for the Royal Navy from Edinburgh, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 14

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY LILFORD 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839LadyLilford.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SULTANA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Sultana.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm