Contents [hide]

Brunton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Brunton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

Early Origins of the Brunton family

The surname Brunton was first found in East Lothian, at Brunton, "a village, in the parish of Creich, district of Cupar. This village, which is pleasantly situated, is inhabited chiefly by persons employed in agriculture, and in hand-loom weaving for the linen manufacturers of Cupar. " 1 2

One of the first records of the family was Walter of Burntoun who held part of Luffness in the reign of Robert III. 3 Further to the south in England, Adam de Brunton was listed in Shropshire, 20 Edward I (in the twentieth year's reign on Edward I.) 4

Robert de Brunton was found in Cheshire c. 1160-74 and later Edmund de Brunton was listed in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1234. 5

East Brunton is a township, in the parish of Gosforth, union and W. division of Castle ward, S. division of Northumberland. Nearby we find High and Low Brunton and West Brunton. Collectively they date back to 1242 when they were known as Burneton and literally meant "farmstead by a stream," from the Old English "burna" + "tun. 6

Early History of the Brunton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brunton research. Another 123 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1140, 1200, 1585, 1844 and 1916 are included under the topic Early Brunton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brunton Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Brunton has appeared as Brunton, Brunten, Bruntin and others.

Early Notables of the Brunton family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

George Brunton, a writer in Edinburgh
Professor Alexander Brunton, a Professor of Oriental Languages at the University of Edinburgh

Brunton Ranking

In the United States, the name Brunton is the 15,900^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7 However, in New Zealand, the name Brunton is ranked the 717^th most popular surname with an estimated 997 people with that name. 8

Brunton migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Brunton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Grozel Brunton, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1745
Grizel Brunton, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1775 9
Archibald Brunton, who arrived in Mississippi in 1799 9

Brunton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Brunton who settled in Philadelphia in 1840

Brunton migration to Australia +

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

Brunton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Brunton, British convict who was convicted in Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 29th September 1831, settling in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. William Brunton, Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 10 years, transported aboard the "Edwin Fox" on 24th August 1858, arriving in Western Australia, Australia

Brunton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Brunton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Brunton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mariner" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd June 1859 11
Mrs. Brunton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mariner" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd June 1859 11
Miss Janet Brunton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mariner" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd June 1859 11
Miss Beatrice Brunton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mariner" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd June 1859 11
Miss Mary Anne Brunton, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mariner" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd June 1859 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brunton (post 1700) +

Joseph Brunton (1902-1988), American Boy Scout leader, fourth Chief Scout Executive (1960 to 1966)
Mary Brunton (1778-1818), Scottish novelist, daughter of Colonel Thomas Balfour of Elwick
George Brunton (1799-1836), Scottish lawyer and journalist 12
William Brunton (1777-1851), Scottish engineer and inventor
Richard Henry Brunton FRGS, MICE (1841-1901), Scottish lighthouse builder "Father of Japanese lighthouses"
Sir Thomas Lauder Brunton FRS (1844-1916), 1st Baronet, Scottish physician
Sir James Lauder Brunton (b. 1947), 4th Baronet, Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada
Sir Edward Francis Lauder Brunton (1916-2007), 3rd Baronet
Sir James Stopford Lauder Brunton (1884-1943), 2nd Baronet
Robbie Brunton (1973-2020), Irish football player active during the 1990s and 2000s
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Brunton 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: Fax mentis incendium gloriae
Motto Translation: The torch of glory inflames the mind.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1831
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019