Brettinam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Brettinam is an old Anglo-Saxon name that was given to a person who was a maker of ropes or cords.

Early Origins of the Brettinam family

The surname Brettinam was first found in Norfolk, at Bradenham, a village and civil parish that dates back to before the Domesday Book where it was listed with the same spelling. 1 The place name literally means "broad homestead or enclosure" derived from the Old English words "brad" + "ham". 2

The first record of the family was found here in the Pipe Rolls of 1177 when Suift de Bradenham was recorded as holding lands at that time. 3

Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Richard de Bradenham, Norfolk; and Alan de Bradinham, Huntingdonshire. 4 In 1337, Richard de Bradenham was also recorded in Norfolk. 5 The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III recorded William de Bradenham, Norfolk, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I.'s reign.)

Bradenham is also a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, near Saunderton. This village also dates back to the Domesday Book 6 where it was listed as Bradeham. Bradenham Manor is a grand red brick manor house that dates back to the 13th century when it belonged to the Earl of Warwick.

Bradnam Wood is a 12.5-hectare (31-acre) Local Nature Reserve west of Maidenhead in Berkshire and is managed by The Woodland Trust.

Early History of the Brettinam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brettinam research. Another 280 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1177, 1273, 1337, 1500, 1612, 1699, 1739, 1750, 1769, 1781 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Brettinam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brettinam 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. Brettinam has been recorded under many different variations, including Bradnam, Bradenham, Bradinham, Bradinam, Bradnem and others.

Early Notables of the Brettinam family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Suift de Bradenham, a prominent 12th century landholder in Norfolk; and Matthew Brettingham (1699- 1769), known as Matthew Brettingham the Elder, an 18th-century Englishman who rose from humble origins to supervise the construction of Holkham Hall, Norfolk and eventually became one of the country's better-known architects. 7His...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brettinam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brettinam 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 Brettinam or a variant listed above: a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print