Breend History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Anglo-Saxon name Breend comes from when the family resided in Staffordshire. The name is thought to have been derived from the Middle English words "brend, brent and brind" which are in turn derived from the Old English word "beornan," meaning "to burn." 1

The name may have been derived from Brind, a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, now part of the civil parish of Wressle. This hamlet dates back to 1188 when it was known as Brende, having derived from the Old English word "brende," meaning "place destroyed or cleared by burning." 2

Early Origins of the Breend family

The surname Breend was first found in Staffordshire, where Gilbert Brende was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. Years later in Worcestershire, Adam Brend and John Brent were listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and Hugo le Brent was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1279. Over in Suffolk, the Subsidy Rolls recorded Geoffrey le Brende in 1327. 1

Brende (with no first name) was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1188, but no county was recorded.

Early History of the Breend family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Breend research. Another 224 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1307, 1327, 1379, 1500, 1516, 1560, 1572, 1598, 1600, 1601 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Breend History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Breend Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Breend has been recorded under many different variations, including Brend, Brende, Brennde, Breand, Breande and others.

Early Notables of the Breend family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Adam Brend, a prominent 14th century landholder in Worcestershire; Thomas Brend (c. 1516-1598), owner of the land on which the Globe Theatre was built; Nicholas Brend (c. 1560-1601), inherited...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Breend Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Breend family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Breend or a variant listed above: William Brend who arrived in Boston in 1657 and William Brend in America in 1664.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)