Contents [hide]

Branson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Branson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Branson is a name whose history is connected to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Branson family once lived in one of several similarly-named settlements. Places called Branston were found in the counties of Leicester, Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire. The settlement of Brandeston was found in Suffolk. Brandiston was in Norfolk, while places called Braunston existed in Leicester and Northamptonshire.

Early Origins of the Branson family

The surname Branson was first found in Yorkshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Branson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branson research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1500, 1568, 1623 and 1708 are included under the topic Early Branson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branson Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Branson family name include Branson, Bransone, Bransom, Brandson, Bransoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Branson family

Distinguished members of the family include

Agnes Branson, a prominent 14th century landholder in Yorkshire

Branson Ranking

In the United States, the name Branson is the 3,131^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Branson migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Branson surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Branson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Branson, who arrived in Maryland in 1650 2
George Branson, who landed in Massachusetts in 1657 2
Fra Branson, who landed in Virginia in 1663 2
John Branson, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 2
Francis Branson, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 2

Branson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Branson, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1743 2
Michael Branson, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 2
Thomas Branson, who sailed to Maryland in 1775

Branson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Branson to Philadelphia in 1866
Joseph Branson, who settled in Philadelphia in 1871

Branson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Branson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Eli Branson U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 3

Branson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Branson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Branson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Poictiers" in 1848 4
Charles Branson, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Amazon" 5
Thomas Branson, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "William Stuart" 6
James Branson, aged 60, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Frenchman"
Jeremiah Branson, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Frenchman"

Contemporary Notables of the name Branson (post 1700) +

Herman Russell Branson (1914-1995), American physicist, chemist and educator, best known for his research on the alpha helix protein structure
William Henry Branson (1887-1961), American Seventh-day Adventist minister and administrator, 14th President of the General Conference of Seventh day Adventists (1950-1954)
Jeffery Glenn Branson (b. 1967), American Major League Baseball infielder who played 1992 to 2001, current assistant hitting coach with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Enoch Lloyd Branson (1854-1925), American portrait artist of Southern politicians
Don Branson (1920-1966), American racecar driver killed in a racing crash at Ascot Park in Gardena, California, inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994
Jeffrey Dale "Jeff" Branson (b. 1977), American Daytime Emmy Award winning actor, best known for his role as Ronan Malloy on The Young and the Restless
Catherine Margaret Branson QC, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and a former judge of the Federal Court of Australia (1994-2008)
Frederick Page Branson, American Democratic Party politician, Justice of Oklahoma State Supreme Court, 1926-29; Chief Justice of Oklahoma State Supreme Court, 1927-29 7
Edward L. Branson (1870-1935), American Republican politician, Franklin County Attorney; Member of Michigan State Senate 9th District, 1929-32; Defeated, 1932 7
Charles A. Branson, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Sheffield, 1884 7
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Branson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dum spiro spero
Motto Translation: While I have breath, I hope.

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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) POICTIERS 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Poictiers.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) AMAZON 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/amazon1852.shtml
South Australian Register Friday 15 July 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) William Stuart 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/williamstuart1853.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html