Show ContentsBrandell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Brandell comes from the Rhineland, an ancient region of Germany. In pre-medieval times, the Germans used only one name, but later they were forced by a growing population to adopt hereditary surnames; so as to remain distinct from the many others of the same first name. Local names were often chosen. They originally indicated land ownership, and frequently carried the prefix von, meaning "of" or "from," which is often taken as an indication of aristocratic lineage. Brandell was a name for some one lived in the town name Brendli which was in the Unterwalden region of Germany. The surname Brandell is a habitation surname, which means that it was originally derived from a pre-existing name for a town, village, parish, or farmstead. Therefore, the surname Brandell denotes someone who was a resident of this township.

Early Origins of the Brandell family

The surname Brandell was first found in the Rhine region, where the name is considered to have made an early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development in Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs as early as the 14th century, and branched into many houses. They played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, as each group sought power and status in an ever-changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Brandell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brandell research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1582, 1811, 1844, 1852 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Brandell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandell Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Brandell include Brendel, Brendeler, Brendler, Brendle, Brenndel and many more.

Early Notables of the Brandell family

Notables with the name Brandell during this period were Daniel Brendel von Homburg (d. 1582), who was Archbishop and Elector of Mainz.Dr. Karl Franz Brendel was a musical critic, born Nov. 25, 1811, at Stollberg in the Harz; educated at the Gymnasium of Freiberg in Saxony, where his father was Berg-Rath, and at the universities of Leipsic and Berlin. Music always formed his special pursuit, in which he was mainly assisted by Anacker and Wieck. He began his public career with lectures on the history of music, delivered in Freiberg and in Dresden. In 1844 he settled in Leipsic as proprietor...
Another 170 words (12 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brandell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Brandell migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Brandell were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Brandell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • E. Brandell, aged 3, who landed in America, in 1892
  • Mrs. R. Brandell, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
  • R. Brandell, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1892
  • John Brandell, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1894
  • Anna Brandell, aged 22, who settled in America, in 1894
Brandell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Hugo Brandell, aged 27, who immigrated to America, in 1918
  • Charles Hugo Brandell, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States, in 1919

Contemporary Notables of the name Brandell (post 1700) +


RMS Lusitania
  • Miss Josephine Mary Brandell, American 1st Class Passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking by escaping in life boat 12 then 15 1


  1. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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