Brinson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The lineage of the name Brinson begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in the village of Brinton in the county of Norfolk. Brinton appears in the Domesday Book as belonging to the Bishop of Thetford, and having a total value of thirty pounds.

Early Origins of the Brinson family

The surname Brinson was first found in Norfolk at Brinton, a parish, in the hundred of Holt. 1 The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Bruntuna. Literally the place name means "estate associated with a man called Bryni," from the Old English personal name + "-ing" + "tun." 2

One of the first records of the name was Thomas Brunton or Brinton (d. 1389), Bishop of Rochester, a monk of the Benedictine house at Norwich. "He is said to have studied both at Oxford and Cambridge, and is variously described as bachelor of theology and as ‘doctor decretorum’ of the former university. Having taken up his residence in Rome, he was made penitentiary of the holy see, and on 31 Jan. 1372-3 was appointed bishop of Rochester by Gregory XI, in the room of John Hertley, prior of Rochester, whose election was set aside by the Pope." 3

Early History of the Brinson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brinson research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1273 and 1585 are included under the topic Early Brinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brinson Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Brinson has undergone many spelling variations, including Brinton, Brinston, Brinson, Brinstone, Bryenton, Brintnell and many more.

Early Notables of the Brinson family

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

Brinson Ranking

In the United States, the name Brinson is the 2,582^nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Brinson is ranked the 535^th most popular surname with an estimated 86 people with that name. 5

Brinson migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Brinson were among those contributors:

Brinson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Daniel Brinson, who landed in New Jersey in 1677 6

Brinson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Brinson, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 6

Brinson 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:

Brinson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Brinson, aged 19, a farm labourer, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Clarence" in 1875
John Brinson, aged 16, a farm labourer, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Clarence" in 1875
Frederick Brinson, aged 12, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Clarence" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Brinson (post 1700) +

Samuel Mitchell Brinson (1870-1922), American politician
Craig Brinson (b. 1965), American former professional heavyweight boxer
Samuel Mitchell Brinson (1870-1922), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from North Carolina 3rd District, 1919-22 7
M. J. Brinson, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Fort Worth, Texas, 1857 7
J. J. Brinson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Carolina, 1916 7
George Z. Brinson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Georgia, 1952 7
Kathleen Brinson, Australian actress
Brinson Paolini (b. 1991), American professional golfer

The Brinson 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: Lux et Salus
Motto Translation: Light and safety.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html