Braus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

During that dark period of history known as the Middle Ages, the name of Braus was first used in Austria. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, are the most common form of a hereditary surname in Germany, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages. Many people, such as the Braus family, adopted the name of their occupation as their surname. However, an occupational name did not become a hereditary surname until the office or type of employment became hereditary. The surname Braus was an occupational name for a worker at a brewery.

Early Origins of the Braus family

The surname Braus was first found in Austria, where the name Braus came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired estates in new areas which, combined with their great contributions to society, succeeded in elevating their social status.

Early History of the Braus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Braus research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1774 is included under the topic Early Braus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Braus 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 Braus include Braus, Brause, Brauss, Brausse, Brausser, Browse, Browsse, Brausch, Brauch, Brauchs and many more.

Early Notables of the Braus family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Braus were

the von Braus family of Austria

Braus migration to the United States +

Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Braus or a variant listed above:

Braus Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Pierre Braus, who arrived in Annapolis, Maryland in 1763 1

Braus Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Friedrich Braus, his wife Marie Reb and their two sons who arrived in Texas in 1845

Contemporary Notables of the name Braus (post 1700) +

Mortimer Braus (b. 1908), American screenplay writer
Anthony J Braus, American Director, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1991-)

Citations +

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)