Show ContentsBrissard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The French name Brissard 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 Brissard family

The surname Brissard 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 Brissard family

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

Brissard Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of French surnames; in part, as spelling, and the spelling names was not yet standardized during the early development of the written French language. Later, there was much branching and movement of families, and spellings would change according to region. Variations of the name Brissard include 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 Brissard family

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

Brissard Ranking

In France, the name Brissard is the 9,505th most popular surname with an estimated 893 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Brissard family

Immigration to New France was slow; therefore, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Brissard has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Brissard 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.



  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/


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