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Brent History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Brent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany-Alt
Germany

The roots of the Brent family are found in the ancient German duchy of Bavaria. Brent is one of the most common styles of German surname, that of patronymics and metronymics - names derived from the given names of the father or mother of their original bearers. Brent is derived 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 Brent 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 Brent family

The surname Brent 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 Brent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brent 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 Brent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brent Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Brent 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 Brent family

Prominent among members of the name Brent 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 Brent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brent Ranking

In the United States, the name Brent is the 3,757^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Brent migration to the United States +

German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Brent surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Brent Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Margaret Brent (born c. 1600, Gloucestershire, England-died 1669/71, Westmoreland county, Virginia) who arrived in Maryland in 1638 and obtained a patent for 70 acres. She was the first woman in the colony to hold land in her own right
Mary Brent, who arrived in Maryland in 1637 3
Margaret Brent, who landed in Maryland in 1638 3
Fulke Brent, who arrived in Maryland in 1638 3
Gibe., Brent, who arrived in Maryland in 1638 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brent Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Brent, who arrived in Virginia in 1711 3
Susannah Brent, who landed in Virginia in 1711 3
Peter and Thomas Brent, who both arrived in Philadelphia in 1741
Peter Brent, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 3

Brent Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Daniel Brent, (b. 1800), aged 40, Cornish farmer departing from Bristol aboard the ship "Druid" arriving in Ohio, USA on 29 June 1840 4
Mrs. Grace Brent, (b. 1815), aged 25, Cornish settler departing from Bristol aboard the ship "Druid" arriving in Ohio, USA on 29 June 1840 4
Mr. John Brent, (b. 1834), aged 6, Cornish settler departing from Bristol aboard the ship "Druid" arriving in Ohio, USA on 29 June 1840 4
Mr. William Brent, (b. 1840), aged 3 months, Cornish settler departing from Bristol aboard the ship "Druid" arriving in Ohio, USA on 29 June 1840 4
John Brent, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brent migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brent Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

George Brent who settled in Bona Vista, Newfoundland, in 1677 5

Brent migration to Australia +

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

Brent Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Brent who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st March 1831, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. John Brent, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bangalore" on 28th March 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) from Bermuda 7

Brent 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:

Brent Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George Brent, (b. 1838), aged 24, Cornish farm labourer departing on July 1862 aboard the ship "Queen of the Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 8
Mr. George Brent, (b. 1838), aged 24, Cornish farm labourer, from Cornwall travelling from London aboard the ship "Queen of Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 20th October 1862 9
Mr. Brent, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 26th July 1874 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Brent (post 1700) +

George Brent (1904-1979), American (Irish born) film actor
Richard Brent (1757-1814), American politician, U.S. Congressman and Senator from Virginia
J Allen Brent (b. 1921), American beverage company executive
Richard Brent (1757-1814), American politician, Representative from Virginia, 1795-99, 1801-03; Member of Virginia State Senate, 1808-10; U.S. Senator from Virginia, 1809-14 10
Joseph Lancaster Brent (b. 1905), American Democratic Party politician, Member of California State Assembly 1st District, 1856-58; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1876 10
Joseph L. Brent, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Sault SAINTE Marie, 1927; Cairo, 1929; Paris, 1932; U.S. Consul in Istanbul, 1938 10
J. J. Brent, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1940 10
J. H. Brent, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Mississippi, 1944 10
Innes B. Brent, American politician, Postmaster at Lexington, Kentucky, 1794-98 10
H. M. Brent, American politician, U.S. Consul in Callao, 1884 10
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)
"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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bangalore
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html