Show ContentsBrandt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The medieval duchy of Bavaria is the homeland of the Brandt family. Two of the common types of family names found in medieval Bavaria were patronymic surnames, which were derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which were derived from the mother's given name. In Germany, patronymic names were much more frequently derived from common, Germanic, given names than they were from those baptismal names honoring Christian saints. The family name Brandt is a patronymic surname that comes 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 Brandt 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 Brandt family

The surname Brandt 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 Brandt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brandt 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 Brandt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandt 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 Brandt 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 Brandt family

Prominent among members of the name Brandt in this period include

  • Jobst Brandt (1517-1570), German composer
  • Gerard Brandt (1626-1685), a Dutch preacher, playwright, poet, church historian, biographer and naval historian

Brandt World Ranking

In the United States, the name Brandt is the 1,078th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. [2] However, in France, the name Brandt is ranked the 6,539th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. [3] And in Netherlands, the name Brandt is the 958th popular surname with an estimated 2,151 people with that name. [4] South Africa ranks Brandt as 885th with 7,856 people. [5]


United States Brandt migration to the United States +

Between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries, German settlers arrived in North America by the thousands. Persecution based on religion and poverty were great motivators in this large-scale migration. So too was the opportunity for tenant farmers to own their own land. Ample land and opportunity awaited the settlers who went to such states as Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California, as well as Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Brandt or a variant listed above:

Brandt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Judith Brandt, who landed in Maryland in 1674 [6]
  • Mary Brandt, who landed in Maryland in 1674 [6]
  • Randolph Brandt, who landed in Maryland in 1674 [6]
  • Albertus Brandt, who settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1691
  • Albertus Brandt, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1691-1692 [6]
Brandt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Samuel Brandt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 [6]
  • Michael Brandt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 [6]
  • Joost Brandt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 [6]
  • Samuel Brandt, who settled in Philadelphia in 1739
  • Martin Brandt, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Brandt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joh Andr Brandt, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 [6]
  • Wilhelm Brandt, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1808 [6]
  • Philip Brandt, aged 14, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1831 [6]
  • Peter Brandt, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 [6]
  • I H Brandt, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 [6]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Brandt Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Frederik Carl Brandt, who landed in Alabama in 1914 [6]

Canada Brandt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brandt Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Friedrich Brandt, who landed in Quebec in 1850

Australia Brandt migration to Australia +

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

Brandt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Brandt who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]

New Zealand Brandt 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:

Brandt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Ludwig Brandt, (b. 1819), aged 37, European settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 24th October 1856 [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Brandt (post 1700) +

  • Gil Brandt (1932-2023), American professional NFL football executive, Vice President of player personnel in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • David Brandt (1946-2023), American farmer known for working on sustainable agriculture techniques, specifically no-till farming and cover crops
  • Kenneth E. Brandt (1938-2016), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1973-1990)
  • Jobst Brandt (1935-2015), American mechanical engineer, inventor, bicycle enthusiast, educator, and author
  • Fredric Sheldon Brandt (1949-2015), American physician, researcher, lecturer, author, and radio host; one of the first to use botulinum toxin ("botox") and fillers
  • Major-General Carl Amandus Brandt (1906-1961), American Commanding General Air Proving Ground Command (1946-1948) [9]
  • Jackie Brandt (b. 1934), American Major League Baseball player
  • Carl David Brandt (b. 1928), American virologist
  • George Walker Brandt Jr. (b. 1943), American lawyer
  • Charles Brandt, American politician, U.S. Consul in Archangel, 1853-56 [10]
  • ... (Another 43 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Heinz Brandt (1921-1941), German Matrose II who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [11]
  • Hermann Brandt (1919-1941), German Matrosenobergefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [11]
  • Erich Brandt (1920-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [11]
  • Christian Brandt (1919-1941), German Matrose Res. who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [11]


  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. "Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
  5. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  6. 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)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 22) Carl Brandt. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Brandt/Carl_Amandus/USA.html
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  11. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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