Brandenburg History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Those lands along the southeast coast of the Baltic sea were the birthplace of the great Prussian name Brandenburg. A single name was, at one time, all that people needed. However, increasing ease of travel and the burgeoning populations forced people to adopt a hereditary surname to set themselves apart from others. A common form of surname found in Prussia was the local name, a name taken on from an existing place-name. The surname Brandenburg was first used by someone who lived in Brandenburg-Prussia, which is essentially the birthplace of modern Germany. By the 19th century, Brandenburg-Prussia had incorporated East Prussia, West Prussia and many other German territories. Moreover, in the late 19th century, it led the German states in the unification of Germany.

Early Origins of the Brandenburg family

The surname Brandenburg was first found in Prussia, where this family name became noted for its many branches within the region.

Early History of the Brandenburg family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brandenburg research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1689, 1713 and 1794 are included under the topic Early Brandenburg History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandenburg Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Brandenburg include Brandenburg, Brandenberg, Brandenburge, Brandenberge, Branddenburg, Branddenberg, Brandenberger and many more.

Early Notables of the Brandenburg family

Notable figures of the time with the name Brandenburg were

the von Brandenburg family of Prussia

Brandenburg Ranking

In the United States, the name Brandenburg is the 4,183^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [1]

Brandenburg migration to the United States +

Prussia played an extremely influential role in shaping modern German history. It remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War. Prussia was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. Many Prussians became residents of these new countries after the War, and many migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly to Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Brandenburg were

Brandenburg Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Brandenburg, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1740
Johannes Brandenburg, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1740 [2]

Brandenburg Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Brandenburg, who landed in Brazil in 1842 [2]
Wilhelmine Brandenburg, who landed in Texas in 1846 [2]
Lubertus Brandenburg, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 [2]
Anna Brandenburg, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 [2]
Mrs. G Brandenburg, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 [2]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brandenburg Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Carl Brandenburg, who landed in Arkansas in 1906 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Brandenburg (post 1700) +

Jim Brandenburg (1935-2023), American college basketball head coach at the University of Montana (1976–1978), the University of Wyoming (1978–1987), and San Diego State University (1987–1992)
Major General William H. Brandenburg, American Army officer, Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army, Pacific, August 8, 2003
Mark A. Brandenburg (b. 1955), American politician, Member of the Iowa House of Representatives (2011-2015)
Bryan Brandenburg (b. 1959), American writer and video game designer, co-founder of Sculptured Software and Salt Lake Comic Con
Marion Edgar "Ed" Brandenburg (1893-1968), American actor who appeared in 37 films between 1922 and 1938, brother of Chet Brandenburg
Chet Brandenburg (1897-1974), American actor who appeared in over 400 films between 1924 and 1963, brother of actor Ed Brandenburg
Will Brandenburg (b. 1987), American alpine ski racer on the U.S. Ski Team
Mark Clay Brandenburg (b. 1970), former American middle-relief pitcher in Major League Baseball
Jim Brandenburg (b. 1945), award-winning American nature photographer
O. D. Brandenburg, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1916 [3]
... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html