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The surname Brunninger, is likely of patronymic origin, that is, it belongs to the category of surnames derived from the first name of the father of the initial bearer. In this instance, the name indicates "son of Brüning," a variant of Bruno. The personal name Bruno is a pet form of names such as Brunolf, Brunwardt and Brunheri, all derived from the Old High German word "brunja" meaning brown. The name probably would have been initially given as a nickname to one with brown hair or a dark complexion. The name may also have been derived from the Middle High German "brunne" meaning "breastplate." Bruningsen is also a place name in Westfalia.
The surname Brunninger was first found in Westfalia. The earliest record dates back to 1206, when Bruning von Staufen, possibly the founder of the village of Breuningsweiler, was mentioned in the "Wurttembergisches Urbunderbuch II." In 1284 Chunrat Bruninch was living in Augsburg and in 1351 Cuonrad Brunig was a curator at Baden-Baden. An unknown Breininger was recorded in Rottweil in 1357. Wolfgang Breuningk was living in Grafental in 1503, and Christoph Breuning in Tubingen in 1539.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brunninger research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1514, 1660, 1687, 1702, 1727, 1757, 1774, 1812 and 1827 are included under the topic Early Brunninger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Brunninger include Bruening, Breuninger, Breuninge, Breuning, Brüning, Brünings, Brauening, Brunig, Bruenink, Brunke (Friesland), Bruhnke, Brunken, Brünicke, Brüntjen, Brünjes and many more.
Notables of the period with the name Brunninger were Conrad Breuning von Buchenbach, who was Governor of Tuebingen in 1514; Hans Bruning, a captain in Hamburg in 1687; Johann Adam Breunig (1660-1727), a German Baroque architect; and Adolf Bruning from Lubeck, who was ennobled in...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brunninger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Brunninger, or one of its variants above: