Bradman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Bradman surname lie with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name Bradman began when someone in that family worked as a maker of ropes or cords.

Early Origins of the Bradman family

The surname Bradman was first found in Norfolk, at Bradenham, a village and civil parish that dates back to before the Domesday Book where it was listed with the same spelling. 1 The place name literally means "broad homestead or enclosure" derived from the Old English words "brad" + "ham". 2

The first record of the family was found here in the Pipe Rolls of 1177 when Suift de Bradenham was recorded as holding lands at that time. 3

Later the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Richard de Bradenham, Norfolk; and Alan de Bradinham, Huntingdonshire. 4 In 1337, Richard de Bradenham was also recorded in Norfolk. 5 The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III recorded William de Bradenham, Norfolk, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I.'s reign.)

Bradenham is also a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, near Saunderton. This village also dates back to the Domesday Book 6 where it was listed as Bradeham. Bradenham Manor is a grand red brick manor house that dates back to the 13th century when it belonged to the Earl of Warwick.

Bradnam Wood is a 12.5-hectare (31-acre) Local Nature Reserve west of Maidenhead in Berkshire and is managed by The Woodland Trust.

Early History of the Bradman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bradman research. Another 280 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1177, 1273, 1337, 1500, 1612, 1699, 1739, 1750, 1769, 1781 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Bradman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bradman Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bradman has appeared include Bradnam, Bradenham, Bradinham, Bradinam, Bradnem and others.

Early Notables of the Bradman family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Suift de Bradenham, a prominent 12th century landholder in Norfolk; and Matthew Brettingham (1699- 1769), known as Matthew Brettingham the Elder, an 18th-century Englishman who rose from humble origins to supervise the construction of Holkham Hall, Norfolk and eventually became one of the country's better-known architects. 7His...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bradman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bradman migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bradman arrived in North America very early:

Bradman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jane Bradman, who arrived in Virginia in 1658 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Bradman (post 1700) +

Sam Bradman (b. 1990), American retired professional lacrosse player
Florentine K. Bradman, American Republican politician, Republican Citizens Candidate for U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 9th District, 1898 9
Tony Bradman (b. 1954), English author of children's books, best known for his "Dilly the Dinosaur " series
Greta Bradman, born either 1979 or 1982, is an Australian operatic soprano
Sir Donald George "The Don" Bradman AC (1908-2001), Australian cricket player

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html