Branch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The name Branch was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Branch family lived in the county of Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), where the family can trace its origin to shortly after the Norman Conquest. The surname Branch comes from the Old English word branche, which means branch. While it is unclear as to how this word came to be used as a surname, it may have been a topographical surname type, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree.

Early Origins of the Branch family

The surname Branch was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. The family were from St. Denis de Branche, and the name Braunch appears on the Honour Roll of Battell Abbey of those companions of Duke William Normandy at Hastings.

Early History of the Branch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branch research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1169, 1238, 1331 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Branch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branch Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Branch are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Branch include Branch, Branche, Braunche, Braunch and others.

Early Notables of the Branch family

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

Branch Ranking

In the United States, the name Branch is the 718th most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. 1


Branch migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Branch, or a variant listed above:

Branch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Branch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Branch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Branch Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Branch migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Branch Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Branch migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Branch Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Branch migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8
Branch Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Branch (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Branch +
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