Branehed History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

The history of the Branehed family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in Yorkshire, where the name Broomhead was a place-name describing a hilltop with broom bushes.

Early Origins of the Branehed family

The surname Branehed was first found in Yorkshire, where the family held "an estate in Hallamshire which passed from the family through an heiress so early as temp. Richard II." ^[1] “This surname with several variants is still well known in the West Riding.” ^[2]

Important Dates for the Branehed family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branehed research. Another 226 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1377, 1399, 1440, 1500, 1667, 1772 and 1784 are included under the topic Early Branehed History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branehed Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Branehed include Broomhead, Bromeheuede, Bromehed, Broomehed, Bromhead, Brumhead, Brumit and many more.

Early Notables of the Branehed family (pre 1700)

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

Migration of the Branehed family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Branehed or a variant listed above: Joseph Broomhead, who arrived in New York city in 1819; George Broomhead, who was naturalized in Wisconsin in 1862; James Broomhead who arrived in Philadelphia in 1870.

Citations

1. ^ Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
2. ^ Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)