Brach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The ancestors of the bearers of the Brach family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found near a newly cultivated piece of land. The surname Brach is derived from the Old English word bræc. 1

Early Origins of the Brach family

The surname Brach was first found in Shropshire where Peter de la Breche was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221. A few years later, Peter de la Brach was listed in Surrey in 1248 and Philip atte Breche was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Later again, Rose atte Brache was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Bedfordshire in 1309. Robert le Brechere was listed at Oseney, Oxfordshire in 1245, while William le Brechere was found in Cornwall in 1297. 1

Early History of the Brach family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brach research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brach Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Brach include Breach, Brech, Britch, Breashears, Breashear and many more.

Early Notables of the Brach family

More information is included under the topic Early Brach Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brach migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Brach or a variant listed above:

Brach Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Martin Brach, (Braach), aged 46, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Everhard", he died in 1846
Mrs. Sophia Brach, (Braach), German with 2 children who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Everhard"
Miss Brach, who landed in North America in 1848 2
George Brach, who arrived in New York in 1875 2
Han Philip Brach, aged 8, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brach (post 1700) +

Emil J. Brach (1859-1947), American founder of Brach's Confections in 1904
Helen Vorhees Brach (1911-1977), American heiress to the E. J. Brach & Sons Candy Company who died under mysterious circumstances
Paul H Brach, American artist and educator, California
Julius Brach (1881-1938), Czech chess master
Gérard Brach (1927-2006), French film director and screenwriter

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)