Bruen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The Bruen surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from the baptismal name Brun. "The name suggests connexion with Dutch bruin ‘bear’, but it may simply show attempts to indicate the pronunciation of French brun ‘brown’." 1 Two other sources agree with this assumptive origin. 2 3 Another source presumes the name was originally Bregwin, pronounced Brewin.

Early Origins of the Bruen family

The surname Bruen was first found in Norfolk, where William Bruin was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1209. Later, Patrick le Bruin was found in the Assize Rolls for Northumberland in 1269 and William Bruyn was recorded in Wiltshire in 1330. Maurice Bruyn was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1425. 1

A branch of the family hailed from Bruen Stapleford in Cheshire where there "had been a succession from the middle of the thirteenth century." 4

Early History of the Bruen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bruen research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1538, 1560, 1570, 1577, 1616, 1625, 1656, 1682, 1695 and 1833 are included under the topic Early Bruen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bruen Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bruen are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bruen include: Brewin, Brewne, Brewn, Bruin, Brunhus and others.

Early Notables of the Bruen family

Notables of the family at this time include

John Bruen (1560-1625) was an English Puritan layman, the son of a Cheshire squire whose family had long been settled at Bruen Stapleford, and is believed to have given its name to the township. (NBio...

Bruen migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bruen or a variant listed above:

Bruen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Obadiah Bruen, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1640 5

Bruen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Bruen, aged 37, who arrived in New York in 1812 5
Patrick Bruen, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1838

Contemporary Notables of the name Bruen (post 1700) +

Edward Everett Bruen (1859-1938), American politician, the first Mayor of East Orange, New Jersey
George W. Bruen, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County, 1839 6
George Bruen, American Republican politician, Chair of Van Buren County Republican Party, 2003 6
Elias Bruen, American politician, Postmaster at Clarksburg, Virginia, 1849-52 6
Edward Everett Bruen (1859-1938), American politician, Mayor of East Orange, New Jersey, 1899-1905 6
Edward E. Bruen, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1944 6
Henry Bruen (1741-1795), Irish politician, Member of the Parliament of Ireland for Jamestown 1783-1790 and Carlow County 1790-1795
Henry Bruen PC, DL (1828-1912), Irish Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament for Carlow County (1857-1880)
Francis Bruen (d. 1867), Irish Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament for Carlow Borough from 1835 to 1837
Colonel Henry Bruen (1789-1852), Irish Tory Party politician, Member of Parliament for Carlow County for 36 years
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html