Show ContentsBrabazon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Brabazon is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Brabazon family lived in the county of Kent. The family name originates in the taken duchy of Brabant in Normandy, it is from the local that the village and parish of Braborne is named. Typically then the name was used by locals of the Brabant area. Their castle was called Brabacon. 1

In Normandy the surname had come to be associated with mercenary-style soldiering, and the family was renowned as valiant fighters, particularly in William the Conqueror's army at the Battle of Hastings.

Another source claims that they assumed their surname from the Castle of Brabazon, in Normandy and it was Jaques Le Brabason, nicknamed the Great Warrior who came to the aid of William the Conqueror in his conquest of England and consequently appears on the Roll of Battle Abbey. 2

"John le Brabason, son of the Norman, fixed his residence at Betchworth, in Surrey, and was living in the reigns of Henry I. and Henry II. From him derived the Brabazons of Eaatwell, in Leicestershire, of whom was John le Brabazon, of Eastwell, slain at the Battle of Bosworth." 2

Early Origins of the Brabazon family

The surname Brabazon was first found in Surrey and Kent where they settled at Bletchworth in Surrey and Braborne in Kent. They were from the village and Castle of Brabancon in Flanders, their profession, professional soldiers.

Roger Le Barabazon (d. 1317), was an early English judge, "descended from an ancient family of Normandy. The name is variously spelt Brabaçon, Brabançon, and Brabanson, and was originally given to one of the roving bands of mercenaries common in the Middle Ages. " 3

Early History of the Brabazon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brabazon research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1552, 1580, 1625, 1645, 1651, 1682, 1684, 1685, 1686, 1688, 1691, 1715, 1737, 1751, 1763, 1772 and 1977 are included under the topic Early Brabazon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brabazon Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Brabasson, Brabazon, Brabauzon, Barbazaun and others.

Early Notables of the Brabazon family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir William Brabazon (d. 1552), Vice-Treasurer and Lord Justice of Ireland, descended from the family of Roger le Brabazon
  • Sir Edward Brabazon, 1st Baron Ardee (d. 1625), who represented County Wicklow in the Irish House of Commons and served as High Sheriff of Staffordshire
  • Chambre Brabazon, 5th Earl of Meath PC (c. 1645-1715), an English nobleman and politician
  • Lady Mary Brabazon (1682-1737)
  • Lady Juliana Brabazon (bapt. 3 September 1684)
  • Lady Catharine Brabazon (1685-1763)
  • Chaworth Brabazon, 6th Earl of Meath (1686-1763)
  • Lady Frances Brabazon (1688-1751)

Ireland Migration of the Brabazon family to Ireland

Some of the Brabazon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 103 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Brabazon migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Brabazon or a variant listed above were:

Brabazon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Bernard Brabazon, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1861 4
  • John Brabazon, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1861 4

Canada Brabazon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brabazon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Brabazon, aged 80 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Dykes" departing 23rd April 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board 5

West Indies Brabazon 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. 6
Brabazon Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Barnabas Brabazon, who settled in Barbados and Jamaica in the year 1700

Contemporary Notables of the name Brabazon (post 1700) +

  • Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821-1906), English watercolor artist
  • Chambre Brabazon (1645-1715), 5th Earl of Meath, English nobleman
  • John Theodore Brabazon (1884-1964), English aviator and politician
  • Ryan Brabazon (b. 1986), Australian rules footballer
  • Francis Brabazon (1907-1984), Australian poet
  • Gerald Hugh Brabazon (1854-1938), Canadian politician
  • Brigadier-General Reginald Le Normand Brabazon (1869-1949), 13th Earl of Meath, known as Lord Ardee, an Anglo-Irish soldier
  • Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821-1906), English watercolor artist
  • Cecil Brabazon Ponsonby (1889-1945), English cricketer
  • William Brabazon Ponsonby (1744-1806), Irish politician, made 1st Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly, County Cork in 1806


The Brabazon 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: Vota vita mea
Motto Translation: Prayers are my life.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. 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)
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 65)
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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