Brandtes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The Brandtes family name began in the medieval duchy of Bavaria. Names such as Brandtes come from the most frequent class of German surnames, that of patronymic and metronymic names, which were derived from the given name of the father or mother of the initial bearer. Brandtes comes from the Germanic personal name Brando, a short form of the various compound personal names containing the element brand, which means sword or fire.

The name may also be a short-form of an old Germanic name such as Brandhart ("fire-strong"), Brandoalt ("fire-powerful", or Hildebrand ("sword-fire"). In many cases, the surname Brandtes also derives from a first name, which is shortened from first names such as Hildebrand, Brandhart or Brandold. Brand was a popular short form of Hildebrand in N Germany. 1

Alternatively, the name could have referred to a former resident of one of the multiple localities named Brand. There are thirty-nine villages and towns with the name of Brand in the southern German province of Bavaria alone. A settlement was named Brand usually if it came to be built in an area which had been cleared by fire.

Early Origins of the Brandtes family

The surname Brandtes was first found in Bavaria, where the family came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. Some of the first records of this name or one of its variants is Ulrich Brant who was a cloth-maker in 1276 and Waltherus de Brant, who was a farmer zu Regensdorf in 1280.

A shopkeeper Brand was listed in Stettin in 1351 and his sons Brand and Brand. As a forename, Brand Krekenoghe was found in Hanover in 1407. 1

Early History of the Brandtes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brandtes research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1457, 1517, 1521, 1570, 1626, 1685, 1735, 1778 and 1799 are included under the topic Early Brandtes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandtes 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 Brandtes include Brand, Brande, Brandde, Brannde, Brandt, Brandte, Brandtes, Brandtte, Brant, Brante, Brend, Brende, Brendde, Brent, Brendt, Braend, Braende, Braendde, Braennde, Braent, Braendt, Brandes, Brandis and many more.

Early Notables of the Brandtes family

Prominent among members of the name Brandtes in this period include Sebastian Brant (1457-1521), who was known for his long poems, such as "The Ship of Fools"; Jobst Brandt...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brandtes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brandtes family

European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Brandtess to arrive in North America, and among them were: Albertus Brandt, who came to Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1691; Michael Brandt came to Philadelphia in 1732; as did many other Brandts, such as Johannes Brandt in 1736.

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)