The German province known as the Rhineland is the ancestral home of the Braunfel family. The German people originally used only one name, but as the population grew there was often confusion between people of the same name. This required people to adopt hereditary surnames. Many people took surnames based on nicknames - sometimes known as eke-names - that described certain personal characteristics. Braunfel is a name for a person with a dark complexion. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.
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Early Origins of the Braunfel family
The surname Braunfel was first found in the Rhineland, where the name Braunfeld became noted for its many branches with the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied enrolled by the princes of the region. In their later history the name became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family.
Early History of the Braunfel family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Braunfel research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Braunfel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Braunfel Spelling Variations
In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Braunfel include Braunfeld, Braunfeldd, Braunfelde, Braunfelt, Braunfeldt, Braunfeldte, Braunefelde and many more.
Early Notables of the Braunfel family
the Braunfeld family of the Rhineland
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Migration of the Braunfel family
The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Braunfel, or one of its variants above: Matheis Braunefelder, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1743; Jacob Braunefelder who also arrived in Philadelphia in 1743.
