Show ContentsBriant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Briant family

The surname Briant was first found in Brittany where this distinguished family held a family seat at Hélardière. Conjecturally they are descended from Brient de Bretagne who was Count of Brittany and Count of Vannes, whose younger brothers, the Counts Alain Le Noir, and Alain Le Roux, where the ancestors of the present British Royal Family.

Early History of the Briant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Briant research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1784, 1789 and 1822 are included under the topic Early Briant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Briant Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Briand, Brian, Brien, Brient, Briant, Bryant, Bryand, Bryon, DeBriand, DesBriand, DeBriant, Debriant, Debriand, Desbriand, DeBrian and many more.

Early Notables of the Briant family

More information is included under the topic Early Briant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Briant Ranking

In France, the name Briant is the 2,576th most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 1


United States Briant migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Briant Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Briant, who arrived in Maryland in 1633-1634 2
  • Darby Briant, who landed in Maryland in 1678 2
  • William Briant, who landed in Maryland in 1679 2
Briant Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Patrick Briant, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1769 2
Briant Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Louis Briant, who landed in New York in 1822 2
  • Mr. Briant, aged 30, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1850 2
  • E G Briant, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Australia Briant migration to Australia +

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

Briant Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Miss Mary Briant, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
Briant Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Briant, British convict who was convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, the settlement was listed as abandoned and most of the convicts transported to Tasmania on the "Queen" in 1804 4
  • Mr. John Briant, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
  • Mr. Stephen Briant, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. James Briant, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. John Briant, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Briant 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:

Briant Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Charles Henry Briant, (b. 1843), aged 22, British shepherd travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1866 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Briant (post 1700) +

  • Vincent Briant (b. 1986), French professional football player
  • Shane Briant (1946-2021), English-born, Australian actor and novelist, best known for his roles in Demons of the Mind, Straight on Till Morning, Captain Kronos-Vampire Hunter, and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
  • Gavin Aubrey Briant (b. 1969), former Zimbabwean cricketer
  • Frank Briant (1863-1934), British Liberal politician
  • Michael E. Briant (b. 1942), British television director from Bournemouth, Hampshire

RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Albert Briant (d. 1912), aged 34, English Greaser from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 10


The Briant Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sans détour
Motto Translation: Without detour


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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