Brannum History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Brannum is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Brannum family lived in Gloucestershire. The family is believed to have been from Brain, near Hainaut in Normandy where they were nobles of the order of St. Empire or at Brain in Anjou. 1

Early Origins of the Brannum family

The surname Brannum was first found in Norfolk where Ketell Brain was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1166. Later Walter Brayn was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275. 2 Matthew de Brain occurs in Yorkshire 1199. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 recorded Alicia Brayn, Cambridgeshire; Helena Brayn, Huntingdonshire; and John Brayn, Cambridgeshire. 3

"A family of Brain held lands in the parish of Little Dean [Gloucestershire] from the time of Elizabeth up to last century, and the name still occurs there. The Brains also owned the manor of Stanton [Chippenham, Wiltshire] 300 years ago. This is an ancient English name: it was represented in Hunts in the reign of Edward I." 4

Further to the north in Scotland, Thomas Brayne of Baldowy was witness in 1462, and David Brane, artium magister, 1477. David Brane was witness in Aberdeen, 1492. John Brane signed the Band of Dumfries, 1570, Roger Brain in Allegawin, parish of Glenbervie, 1601, and four more of the name are recorded in Brechin Commissariot Record. 5 In Scotland, the name often appears as MacBryane. 2

Early History of the Brannum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brannum research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1580, 1605, 1686 and 1751 are included under the topic Early Brannum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brannum Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Brannum are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Brannum include Brain, Braine, Brayne, Brane, Brayn and others.

Early Notables of the Brannum family

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

Brannum Ranking

In the United States, the name Brannum is the 16,617^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Brannum migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Brannum, or a variant listed above:

Brannum Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Williain S. Brannum, aged 44, who arrived in America, in 1912
Emmy Brannum, aged 35, who arrived in America from Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1913
James H. Brannum, aged 29, who arrived in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1913
Julia A. Brannum, aged 25, who arrived in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1913
William S. Brannum, aged 60, who arrived in Chicago, Illinois, in 1921

Contemporary Notables of the name Brannum (post 1700) +

Robert Warren "Bob" Brannum (1925-2005), American NBA basketball player who played from 1948 to 1955
Hugh Brannum (1910-1987), American vocalist, arranger, composer and actor best known for his role as "Mr. Green Jeans" on the children's television show Captain Kangaroo (1955-1984)

Citations +

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)
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)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/