Show ContentsBream History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Bream comes from the family having resided in Gloucestershire, where they held the manor and lands of Breme in the village and parish of that name. 1 It is from the manorial name from which the family name is derived. The name Bream means fierce, or vigorous. 2

Early Origins of the Bream family

The surname Bream was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the singular name Breme was recorded in Suffolk. 3

Later, Hugo Brem was found in the Assize Rolls for Warwickshire in 1221 and Simon Brim was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 in Cambridgeshire. Again in Cambridgeshire, we found Agatha Breme in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327 and in the same year, Robert Brymme was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex. 2

Early History of the Bream family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bream research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bream History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bream Spelling Variations

Bream has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Breame, Bream, Breme and others.

Early Notables of the Bream family

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


United States Bream migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Breams to arrive on North American shores:

Bream Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Bryan Bream, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 4
Bream Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Bream, aged 47, who landed in Virginia in 1813 4
  • John Bream, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 4
  • John Bream, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1866 and moved westward
  • Mrs. J Bream, who arrived in Iowa in 1870 4
  • Johannes Bream, who landed in Iowa in 1870 4

Canada Bream migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bream Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Amand Bream, aged 31, who landed in St Pierre and Miquelon in 1767

Contemporary Notables of the name Bream (post 1700) +

  • Sid Bream (b. 1960), American Major League Baseball player
  • John H. Bream, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 16th District, 1958 5
  • Gray Bream, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Halifax, 1941; Godthaab, 1943 5
  • Julian Alexander Bream CBE (1933-2020), British classical guitarist and lutenist, one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. 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)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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