Brue History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Brue was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Brue family lived in Norfolk. Historians disagree on which of three regions of Normandy the name is drawn from, Brix, Le Brus, or Briouze, but whatever the region the name is clearly from Normandy.

Early Origins of the Brue family

The surname Brue was first found in Suffolk at Little Wenham, a parish, in the incorporation and hundred of Samford. "The church contains memorials to the family of Brewes. Here are the remains of an old castellated mansion, the seat of that ancient family, by whom it appears to have been erected in 1569; it has been converted into a granary." [1]

Early History of the Brue family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brue research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1500 is included under the topic Early Brue History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brue Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Brewes, Brews, Brewe, Brewse, Brewis, Brew, Brewas, Brewase, Brue, MacBrew and many more.

Early Notables of the Brue family

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

Migration of the Brue family to Ireland

Some of the Brue family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brue migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Brue or a variant listed above:

Brue Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eugene Brue, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 [2]
Marianna Brue, aged 32, arrived in New York in 1897 aboard the ship "Clive" from Naples and Genoa [3]
Domenico Brue, aged 2, arrived in New York in 1897 aboard the ship "Clive" from Naples and Genoa [3]

Brue Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hans Brue, aged 21, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Stavangerfjord" from Kristiania, Norway [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Brue (post 1700) +

Bob Brue, American PGA golfer, winner of the 1968, 1973, 1974, 1977 and 1978 Wisconsin PGA Championship
Nordahl Leo Brue (b. 1944), American lawyer and entrepreneur, founder of Bruegger's Bagels in 1983
Jean-Louis Brue (1780-1832), French officer, General de Brigade during the Hundred Days in 1815
Dr. C Brue Tarter, American director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 1994 to 2002

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result