Brend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany-Alt
Germany
Israel

The Anglo-Saxon name Brend comes from the family having resided in Staffordshire. The name is thought to have been derived from the Middle English words "brend, brent and brind" which are in turn derived from the Old English word "beornan," meaning "to burn." 1

The name may have been derived from Brind, a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, now part of the civil parish of Wressle. This hamlet dates back to 1188 when it was known as Brende, having derived from the Old English word "brende," meaning "place destroyed or cleared by burning." 2

Early Origins of the Brend family

The surname Brend was first found in Staffordshire, where Gilbert Brende was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Years later in Worcestershire, Adam Brend and John Brent were listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and Hugo le Brent was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1279. Over in Suffolk, the Subsidy Rolls recorded Geoffrey le Brende in 1327. 1

Brende (with no first name) was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1188, but no county was recorded.

Early History of the Brend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brend research. Another 224 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1307, 1327, 1379, 1500, 1516, 1560, 1572, 1598, 1600, 1601 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Brend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brend Spelling Variations

Brend 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: Brend, Brende, Brennde, Breand, Breande and others.

Early Notables of the Brend family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Adam Brend, a prominent 14th century landholder in Worcestershire
Thomas Brend (c. 1516-1598), owner of the land on which the Globe Theatre was built
Nicholas Brend (c. 1560-1601), inherited the land on which the Globe Theatre was built from his father, Thomas Brend

Brend 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 Brends to arrive on North American shores:

Brend Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Brend, aged 40, who landed in New England in 1656 3
William Brend who arrived in Boston in 1657
William Brend in America in 1664

Contemporary Notables of the name Brend (post 1700) +

Ruth Brend, Canadian-born author and Professor of Linguistics

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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)