Show ContentsBriese History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The background history of the name Briese starts in ancient Scotland among the Pictish people. The name Briese is derived from the Gaulish saint Bricius, a nephew of St. Martin of Tours in the 5th century. From Gaelic, the name means quick or speedy.

Early Origins of the Briese family

The surname Briese was first found in Morayshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, around the 12th century. The name was originally Bricius, a Gaulish Saint of the fifth century, a nephew of St. Martin of Tours.

Early History of the Briese family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Briese research. Another 214 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1203, 1296, 1370, 1532, 1569, 1570, 1636, 1648, 1690, 1696 and 1773 are included under the topic Early Briese History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Briese Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Briese include Bryce, Brice, Bricius, Bryse, Breise, Bryces, Brices, Bryses, Breises, Bryse, Brise, Briece and many more.

Early Notables of the Briese family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Bishop Bricius of Moray; Edmund Brice (fl. 1648 - 1696), an English translator and schoolmaster; Edward Brice or Bryce (1569?-1636), Scottish Presbyterian minister; and Elizabeth Brice (Amadas) (died 1532), a lady at the royal court of King Henry VIII of England who was accused of treason and claimed to be a mistress of the king.Thomas Brice (d. 1570), was an English martyrologist who was engaged early in Queen...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Briese Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Briese Ranking

In the United States, the name Briese is the 17,861st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Briese family to Ireland

Some of the Briese family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Briese family

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Briese: William Bryce who settled in Virginia in 1654; followed by James in 1659; Alexander, Ann, Jane, Mary, and William Bryce, settled in New York, N.Y. in 1774.



The Briese Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fiat justitia
Motto Translation: Let justice be done.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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