Show ContentsBrignole History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the bearers of the Brignole family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in or near the village of Brignall near Greta Bridge close to Barnard Castle, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. It was transferred to County Durham for administrative and ceremonial purposes on 1 April 1974.

Early Origins of the Brignole family

The surname Brignole was first found in Yorkshire. However, Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire. It dates back to AD 942 as Braccan heal, and may meant "nook of land belonging to a man called Bracca", from the Old English personal name + halh. [1]

Early History of the Brignole family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brignole research. Another 264 words (19 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1313, 1327, 1379, 1400, 1409, 1500, 1664, 1675 and 1764 are included under the topic Early Brignole History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brignole Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Brignole include Brignall, Brignal, Brigenehall, Brigenhale, Briggenale, Brigkenhall, Brignell, Bricnell and many more.

Early Notables of the Brignole family

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

Migration of the Brignole family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Brignole or a variant listed above: Richard Brignall, who arrived in Virginia in 1640; and Thomas Brignal, who settled in Ontario in 1861.


USS Arizona
  • Mr. Erminio Joseph Brignole, American Seaman Second Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking [2]


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


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