The name Brainch arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Brainch family lived in the county of Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), where the family can trace its origin to shortly after the Norman Conquest. The surname Brainch comes from the Old English word branche, which means branch. While it is unclear as to how this word came to be used as a surname, it may have been a topographical surname type, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree.
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Early Origins of the Brainch family
The surname Brainch was first found in Westmorland where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. The family were from St. Denis de Branche, and the name Braunch appears on the Honour Roll of Battell Abbey of those companions of Duke William Normandy at Hastings.
Early History of the Brainch family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brainch research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1169, 1238, 1331 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Brainch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brainch Spelling Variations
A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Branch, Branche, Braunche, Braunch and others.
Early Notables of the Brainch family
More information is included under the topic Early Brainch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Brainch family
Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Brainch or a variant listed above: Christopher Branch who settled in Virginia in 1624; with his wife Mary and son Thomas; Anthony Branch settled in Virginia in 1643; John Branch settled in Virginia in 1639.
