Brashear History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The history of the name Brashear dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from a member of the family who worked as a worker in brass. 1
Early Origins of the Brashear family
The surname Brashear was first found in Somerset. However, one of the first record of the family was found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as Richard de Brazur in Shropshire. 2
Early History of the Brashear family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brashear research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1327 is included under the topic Early Brashear History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brashear Spelling Variations
Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Brashear has undergone many spelling variations, including Brazier, Brasier, Braser, Brazer and others.
Early Notables of the Brashear family
More information is included under the topic Early Brashear Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brashear Ranking
In the United States, the name Brashear is the 6,409th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3
Migration of the Brashear family to Ireland
Some of the Brashear family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Brashear family
To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Brashear were among those contributors: Captain Richard Brazier, one of the earliest settlers in the United States, who joined the Illinois Regiment and then the Crockett Regiment in the War of Independence in 1770..
Contemporary Notables of the name Brashear (post 1700) +
- Oscar Brashear (1944-2023), American jazz trumpeter and session musician from Chicago, Illinois
- Norman Cobb "Kitty" Brashear (1877-1934), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played in 1899
- Roy Parks Brashear (1874-1951), American Major League Baseball player who played from 1902 through 1903
- John Brashear (1840-1920), American astronomer, recipient of the Elliott Cresson Medal of The Franklin Institute in 1910, eponym of a lunar and Mars crater
- Donald Brashear (b. 1972), American NHL ice hockey player
- Carl Maxie Brashear (1931-2006), the first African American to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver in the early 1950s. He received over a dozen medals for his service and was the first amputee diver to ever be certified or re-certified as a U.S. Navy diver. In 2000, Brashear's military service was portrayed by Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the film Men of Honor
- Samuel Brashear Avis (1872-1924), American soldier during the Spanish-American War, who became the U.S. Representative from West Virginia 3rd District (1913-1915)
The Brashear Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Amor patriae
Motto Translation: Love of my country.
Suggested Readings for the name Brashear +
- Belt Brashear and Amelia Duvall: Their Ancestors and Descendants Sydney M. Kilpatrick.
- Our Family Heritage of Sackett, Tunison, French, and Wonser (also Brashear) Families with Appendix of Beekman's and Brasier's by Ruth Wonser McCormick.
Citations +
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/