Show ContentsBresson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The French name Bresson originated in the northern coastal region of France known as Normandy. The name Normandy was derived from the settlement and conquest of the territory by ("Northmen") better known as Vikings.

Early Origins of the Bresson family

The surname Bresson was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family first originated, maintaining their status as one of the more distinguished families of the region.

Robert de Brix, companion to Duke Guillaume, was first registered in the region in 1066. The family later received its title of nobility in 1666. The family continued to prosper and was later cited in Fontenay le Comte in the sub-prefecture of Vendée. Nicolas Brisson was recorded in the region in 1431. Other noteworthy family members include a commander of Rivière (in the region of Touraine) in 1404 and Barnabé Brisson, thought to be the most scholarly of men by King Henry III, he was president of parliament in Paris. 1

Early History of the Bresson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bresson research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1467, 1531, 1591, 1666, 1810 and 1813 are included under the topic Early Bresson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bresson Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Bresson, including Brisson, Brison, Brès, Bris, Brix, de Brix, Bresset, Bresson, Bressot, Brice, Brisse, Brisset, Brissonot, Brissonneau, Brissonet, Brissonnet, Brissot, Brissaud and many more.

Early Notables of the Bresson family

Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bresson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bresson Ranking

In France, the name Bresson is the 862nd most popular surname with an estimated 5,918 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Bresson family

France was active as a cultural leader in the early 16th century. One particular area in which they lead was the exploration of the New World. The explorers, like Jacques Cartier in 1534, led the way to North America. Champlain, in 1608, made the first of twenty voyages to France to attract settlers and brought the first migrant in 1617. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec, and the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Bresson has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bresson were René Brisson, who arrived in Canada in 1664; Madeleine Brisson, who settled in Louisiana in 1719; Henry Brissonnet, 20; who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1823.


Contemporary Notables of the name Bresson (post 1700) +

  • Jean-Pierre Alexandre Bresson de Valmabelle, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 3


  1. Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) Jean-Pierre Bresson. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html


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