Branner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Branner family
The surname Branner was first found in Ayrshire where one of the first records of the name was Walter Brabounare held a tenement in Irvine in 1418-1426. This Flemish industrialist family from Brabant was invited by the monarchs of Scotland to strengthen business interests in lowland Scotland. Their name was derived from Brabener, 'the Brabander,' i.e. a native of Brabant. 1 "Artisans and traders from Brabant settled early at Aberdeen and on the east coast of Scotland. Bremner is still at times pronounced "Brembner" in Caithness." 2
Further to the south in England, Sir Nicholas Brembre (d. 1388), was Lord mayor of London, and was the chief supporter among the citizens of Richard II. 3
Early History of the Branner family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branner research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1486, 1489, 1500, 1507, 1539, 1601, 1630, 1720, 1748 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Branner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Branner Spelling Variations
Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Bremner, Brimner, Brymner, Brimmer, Brenner and many more.
Early Notables of the Branner family
Of note in the family at this time was Robert Bremner, born in Scotland about 1720. He practised for some years as a teacher of singing, and afterwards, about 1748, became a music-seller at Edinburgh, under the sign of the 'Harp and Hoboy.' He subsequently settled in London, and commenced business, with the same sign...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Branner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Branner migration to the United States +
Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Branner were
Branner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Johan Dietrich Branner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1737 4
- Jacob Branner, who arrived in Maryland in 1740 4
- Joseph Branner, who landed in Maryland in 1740 4
- Paul Branner, who arrived in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1743 4
Branner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Branner, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 4
Branner migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Branner Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. Ezekiel Branner U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 5
Branner migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Branner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Edward Branner, (b. 1817), aged 23, British Labourer who was convicted in Birmingham, West Midlands (Warwick), England for 15 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1841 6
Branner migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Branner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Gustav Branner, aged 20, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Terpsichore" in 1876
Contemporary Notables of the name Branner (post 1700) +
- Robert Branner (1927-1973), U.S. art historian
- Martin Branner (1888-1970), U.S. cartoonist and vaudevillian
- John Casper Branner (1903-1966), U.S. geologist and President of Stanford University
- Djola Branner, American actor
- Benjamin Manassah Branner (1805-1879), U.S. cavalry officer in Confederate army
- Luther Branner, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1856 7
- H. Bryan Branner (1851-1938), American politician, Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, 1880 7
- Hans Christian Branner (1850-1922), Danish author
- Hans Christian Branner (1903-1966), Danish novelist and short story writer
Citations +
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html