Branich History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Branich

What does the name Branich mean?

Branich is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Branich 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 Branich 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 Branich family

The surname Branich 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 Branich family

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

Branich Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Branch, Branche, Braunche, Braunch and others.

Early Notables of the Branich family

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

Migration of the Branich family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Branich or a variant listed above: Christopher Branch who settled in Virginia in 1624; with his wife Mary and son Thomas; Anthony Branch settled in Virginia in 1643; John Branch settled in Virginia in 1639.