Brittemane History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The generations and branches of the Brittemane family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Brittemane comes from the baptismal name Brichtman. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Brittemane family

The surname Brittemane was first found in Suffolk, where the name first appeared in the Domesday Book where a Saxon landholder "Brihtmanus" 1 was listed. Early in the history of the family, they branched to nearby Norfolk, where John Brithman was registered in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2 The Subsidy Rolls of Essex in 1327 list Robert Brightman 3

Early History of the Brittemane family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brittemane research. Another 217 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1349, 1369, 1377, 1501, 1562, 1576, 1584, 1607, 1753 and 1755 are included under the topic Early Brittemane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brittemane 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 Brittemane include Brightman, Briteman, Brihtman, Bryteman, Brihtmanus and many more.

Early Notables of the Brittemane family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Brightman (1562-1607), English clergyman and biblical scholar. Born at Nottingham, he was admitted a pensioner at Queens' College, Cambridge, in 1576, and later became fellow in 1584. "His desire was to die a sudden death. Riding on a coach with Sir John Osborne...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brittemane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Brittemane 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 Brittemane or a variant listed above: Henry Brightman who sailed to Virginia in 1637.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)