Branston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Branston is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in Brandeston, a parish in Suffolk on the River Deben or in one of the villages named below.

Early Origins of the Branston family

The surname Branston was first found in various shires including Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Staffordshire where we find today villages and civil parishes named Branston. These place names were derived from the Old English personal name Brant + "tun," as in "a farmstead or a village of a man called Brant." 1 All three locals were listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Brantestone (Leicestershire) Branztune (Lincolnshire) and Bronstinson (Staffordshire.)

Early History of the Branston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branston research. Another 340 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1200, 1210, 1221, 1273, 1287, 1288, 1500, 1568, 1731, 1778, 1800 and 1827 are included under the topic Early Branston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branston Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Branston has been spelled many different ways, including Branston, Brandeston, Branteston, Braunteston, Brancston, Braunston, Bramston and many more.

Early Notables of the Branston family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Henry Brandeston (or Henry of Braunstone), a medieval Bishop of Salisbury (1287-1288) who died in 1288 and Allen Branston (1778-1827), a famous wood-engraver

Migration of the Branston family to Ireland

Some of the Branston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branston migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Branstons to arrive in North America:

Branston Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Branston in America in 1773

Branston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J. Branston in Philadelphia in 1856

Branston migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Branston Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Branston, (b. 1804), aged 26, English knitter who was convicted in Leicestershire, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 11th August 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Branston (post 1700) +

William J. Branston, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1912 3
Allen Robert Branston (1778-1827), English wood-engraver, son of a general copper-plate engraver and heraldic painter, born at Lynn in Norfolk in 1778 4
Frank Branston, English politician, mayor of the borough of Bedford, Bedfordshire (2002-)
Guy Branston (b. 1979), English footballer
Mr. Andrew James Branston M.B.E., British Corporal for the Royal Air Force, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 5

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists