Brakes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Brakes is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived near a newly cultivated piece of land. The surname Brakes is derived from the Old English word bræc. 1

Early Origins of the Brakes family

The surname Brakes 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 Brakes family

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

Brakes Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Brakes has been recorded under many different variations, including Breach, Brech, Britch, Breashears, Breashear and many more.

Early Notables of the Brakes family

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

Brakes migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Brakes or a variant listed above:

Brakes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Brakes, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 2
Mary Brakes, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1681 2
William Brakes, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1682 2
Samuel Brakes, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683 2

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)