Brandwin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Wales

Etymology of Brandwin

The Brandwin surname is derived from the female Welsh forename Branwen or Brangwain. These names are derived from the Welsh words "bran," which means "raven," and "wen" or "gwen," which mean "fair." This is a metronymic surname, that is, one created from the name of a female ancestor.

Early Origins of the Brandwin family

Early History of the Brandwin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brandwin research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1283, 1300, 1500 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Brandwin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brandwin Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Brandwin have included Brandwin, Brandewin, Brandwine, Bryngwyn, Branwen, Brangwain, Brangwyne, Brangwayn and many more.

Early Notables of the Brandwin family

More information is included under the topic Early Brandwin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brandwin family

Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Brandwin were found: a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century.