Brenham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Brenham

What does the name Brenham mean?

Many variations of the name Brenham have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Ó Breasail, possibly from the word bres, which means strife. 1

Early Origins of the Brenham family

The surname Brenham was first found in County Armagh (Irish: Ard Mhacha) located in the province of Ulster in present day Northern Ireland, where they held a family seat from ancient times. They were descended from Fiachrach Casan, the progenitor of the Clann Brassil, he was the son of King Colla da Crioch, one of Ireland's greatest kings, who was banished to the Hebrides in 327 A.D. after losing his fight for the High Kingship for all Ireland. Colla da Crioch returned to Ireland in 357. (O'Hart)

Early History of the Brenham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brenham research. Another 176 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brenham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brenham Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Brenham revealed spelling variations, including Brassil, Brassell, Brassilagh, Breasal, Brazil, Brazell, Braslan and many more.

Early Notables of the Brenham family

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

Migration of the Brenham family

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Brenham name: Daniel Brassell who arrived in New York State in 1756; Patrick Brazell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1838; Thomas Breslin settled in Virginia in 1765.

Contemporary Notables of the name Brenham (post 1700) +

Charles James Brenham (1817-1875), American politician, Mayor of San Francisco, California, 1851, 1852-53 2

Sources +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html