Brassell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Many variations of the name Brassell have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Breasail, possibly from the word bres, which means strife. 1

Early Origins of the Brassell family

The surname Brassell was first found in County Armagh (Irish: Ard Mhacha) located in the province of Ulster in present day Northern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times. They were descended from Fiachrach Casan, the progenitor of the Clann Brassil, he was the son of King Colla da Crioch, one of Ireland's greatest kings, who was banished to the Hebrides in 327 A.D. after losing his fight for the High Kingship for all Ireland. Colla da Crioch returned to Ireland in 357. 2

Early History of the Brassell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brassell research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brassell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brassell Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname Brassell were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Brassil, Brassell, Brassilagh, Breasal, Brazil, Brazell, Braslan and many more.

Early Notables of the Brassell family

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

Brassell Ranking

In the United States, the name Brassell is the 14,680^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Brassell migration to the United States +

The 19th century saw a great wave of Irish families leaving Ireland for the distant shores of North America and Australia. These families often left their homeland hungry, penniless, and destitute due to the policies of England. Those Irish immigrants that survived the long sea passage initially settled on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Some, however, moved north to a then infant Canada as United Empire Loyalists after ironically serving with the English in the American War of Independence. Others that remained in America later joined the westward migration in search of land. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, though, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America, and those who arrived were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. In fact, the foundations of today's powerful nations of the United States and Canada were to a larger degree built by the Irish. Archival documents indicate that members of the Brassell family relocated to North American shores quite early:

Brassell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Brassell who arrived in New York State in 1756

Brassell migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Brassell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George Brassell, (b. 1818), aged 45, British farm labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 4
Mrs. Janet Brassell, (b. 1827), aged 36, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 4
Mr. Robert Brassell, (b. 1845), aged 18, British labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 4
Mr. John Brassell, (b. 1847), aged 16, British labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 4
Miss Harriet Brassell, (b. 1850), aged 13, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brassell (post 1700) +

Simon C Brassell, Professor of Geological Sciences at Indiana University

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html