Show ContentsColbron History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The rich and ancient history of the Colbron family name dates back to the time of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from the Old Norse personal name Kolbrandr and the Old Swedish forename Kolbrand. The names Colbrand and Colebran appeared in the Domesday Book survey of 1086. 1 Many Scandinavian personal names were left in the British Isles as a legacy of the Viking raids which plagued the coastal regions of Britain from the 8th to 10th centuries, and many of these eventually became Anglo-Saxon surnames.

Early Origins of the Colbron family

The surname Colbron was first found in Sussex where the family held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Colbrand (Colbron) was a legendary giant from English folklore. Some sources claim he was a Viking giant. According to legend, Guy of Warwick defeated him to prove his love for Lady Felice. The legend dates back to at least the 13th century and was even popular into Shakespearean times when he mentions Colbrand in Henry VIII and King John.

By the 18th century, Colbrand became a nickname for someone of considerable size or strength.

Colban, Earl of Fife ( c. 1247-1270) was ruler of Fife in Scotland. He was the son of Earl Malcolm and his wife Elen ferch Llywelyn and succeeded his father while still a teenager on Malcolm's death in 1266.

Early History of the Colbron family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colbron research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1544, 1571, 1572, 1597, 1600, 1627, 1640, 1664, 1667, 1785, 1806 and 1815 are included under the topic Early Colbron History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colbron Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Colbron have been found, including Colbrond, Colbron, Colbrand, Colbran and others.

Early Notables of the Colbron family

Notables of this surname at this time include: James Colbrand (c. 1544-1600), of Chichester, Sussex, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Ludgershall in 1571 and 1572 and for Appleby 1597. Continuing the line was Sir John...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Colbron Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Colbron migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Colbron, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were :

Colbron Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Colbron, from Essex, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet found in Boston.
  • Mrs. Margery Colbron, from Essex, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston. 2
  • William Colbron, aged 16, who landed in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "James" 3
Colbron Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Charles Colbron, aged 57, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Vauban" from Southampton, England 4


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Pi
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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