Breunig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany-Alt
Germany

The surname Breunig, is likely of patronymic origin, that is, it belongs to the category of surnames derived from the first name of the father of the initial bearer. In this instance, the name indicates "son of Brüning," a variant of Bruno. The personal name Bruno is a pet form of names such as Brunolf, Brunwardt and Brunheri, all derived from the Old High German word "brunja" meaning brown. The name probably would have been initially given as a nickname to one with brown hair or a dark complexion. The name may also have been derived from the Middle High German "brunne" meaning "breastplate." Bruningsen is also a place name in Westfalia.

Early Origins of the Breunig family

The surname Breunig was first found in Westfalia. The earliest record dates back to 1206, when Bruning von Staufen, possibly the founder of the village of Breuningsweiler, was mentioned in the "Wurttembergisches Urbunderbuch II." In 1284 Chunrat Bruninch was living in Augsburg and in 1351 Cuonrad Brunig was a curator at Baden-Baden. An unknown Breininger was recorded in Rottweil in 1357. Wolfgang Breuningk was living in Grafental in 1503, and Christoph Breuning in Tubingen in 1539.

Early History of the Breunig family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Breunig research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1514, 1660, 1687, 1702, 1727, 1757, 1774, 1812 and 1827 are included under the topic Early Breunig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Breunig Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Breunig include Bruening, Breuninger, Breuninge, Breuning, Brüning, Brünings, Brauening, Brunig, Bruenink, Brunke (Friesland), Bruhnke, Brunken, Brünicke, Brüntjen, Brünjes and many more.

Early Notables of the Breunig family

Notables of the period with the name Breunig were

Johann Adam Breunig (1660-1727), a German Baroque architect

Breunig Ranking

In the United States, the name Breunig is the 5,458^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Breunig migration to the United States +

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Breunig, or one of its variants above:

Breunig Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Breunig, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1857 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Breunig (post 1700) +

Robert Paul Breunig (b. 1953), former American NFL football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys
Max Breunig (1888-1961), German footballer and captain of the National team at the 1912 Summer Olympics

Citations +

"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)