Brendan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Brendan date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in one of the settlements named Brandon in Durham, Norfolk, Suffolk, or Warwickshire, or in Brundon in Essex.

Early Origins of the Brendan family

The surname Brendan 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 Brendan family

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

Brendan Spelling Variations

Brendan 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. Many variations of the name Brendan have been found, including Brandon, Branden, Brandan and others.

Early Notables of the Brendan 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...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brendan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brendan family to Ireland

Some of the Brendan 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.

Brendan 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 Brendans to arrive on North American shores:

Brendan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Sister Rose Brendan, aged 36, who arrived in Colorado in 1948 5

Brendan migration to Australia +

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

Brendan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Brendan, aged 19, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"

Contemporary Notables of the name Brendan (post 1700) +

John Brendan McCormack (1935-2021), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Manchester from 1998 until 2011
James Brendan Patterson (b. 1947), American author and philanthropist. His writing includes Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, and Women's Murder Club
Angus Brendan MacNeil (b. 1970), Scottish politician, Chair of the International Trade Select Committee (2016-), Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee (2015-2016)
Donogh Brendan O'Malley (1921-1968), Irish Fianna Fáil politician, Minister for Education (1966-1968), Minister for Health (1965-1966)
Anthony Brendan Byrne (1946-2016), Irish professional footballer who played from 1963 to 1979, Member of the Republic of Ireland National Team (1969-1973)
Martin Brendan Fleming (1926-2016), American politician, Mayor of Lowell, Massachusetts from 1982 to 1984
Raymond Brendan Manning (1934-2000), American carcinologist
Robert Brendan McDowell (b. 1913), Irish historian, Fellow Emeritus and former Professor of History at Trinity College, Dublin
Pierce Brendan Brosnan OBE (b. 1953), Irish Saturn Award winning, two-time Golden Globe nominated film actor best known for portraying James Bond in four films
Brendan Thomas Malone (1942-2023), American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA)

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
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)