| ![Show Contents]() Colbrant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The generations and branches of the Colbrant family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Colbrant comes from the Old Norse personal name Kolbrandr and the Old Swedish forename Kolbrand. The names Colbrand and Colebran appeared in the Domesday Book survey of 1086. 1 Many Scandinavian personal names were left in the British Isles as a legacy of the Viking raids which plagued the coastal regions of Britain from the 8th to 10th centuries, and many of these eventually became Anglo-Saxon surnames. Early Origins of the Colbrant familyThe surname Colbrant was first found in Sussex where the family held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. Colbrand (Colbron) was a legendary giant from English folklore. Some sources claim he was a Viking giant. According to legend, Guy of Warwick defeated him to prove his love for Lady Felice. The legend dates back to at least the 13th century and was even popular into Shakespearean times when he mentions Colbrand in Henry VIII and King John. By the 18th century, Colbrand became a nickname for someone of considerable size or strength. Colban, Earl of Fife ( c. 1247-1270) was ruler of Fife in Scotland. He was the son of Earl Malcolm and his wife Elen ferch Llywelyn and succeeded his father while still a teenager on Malcolm's death in 1266. Early History of the Colbrant familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colbrant research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1544, 1571, 1572, 1597, 1600, 1627, 1640, 1664, 1667, 1785, 1806 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Colbrant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Colbrant Spelling VariationsUntil 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 Colbrant include Colbrond, Colbron, Colbrand, Colbran and others. Early Notables of the Colbrant familyNotables of this surname at this time include: James Colbrand (c. 1544-1600), of Chichester, Sussex, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Ludgershall in 1571 and 1572 and for Appleby 1597. Continuing the line was Sir John...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Colbrant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Colbrant familySearching 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 Colbrant or a variant listed above: William and his wife Marjorie Colbron who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630.
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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