Show ContentsColbront History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Colbront is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came 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 Colbront family

The surname Colbront 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 Colbront family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colbront 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 Colbront History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colbront Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Colbront include Colbrond, Colbron, Colbrand, Colbran and others.

Early Notables of the Colbront family

Notables 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 Colbront Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Colbront family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: William and his wife Marjorie Colbron who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print


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