Contents [hide]

Branton History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Sources

Branton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Branton

What does the name Branton mean?

The Anglo-Saxon name Branton comes from when the family resided in one of the settlements named Brampton, which were found in the counties of Cumberland, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Huntingdonshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), and the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Brompton literally means the "Broom Enclosure or Farm" from the Old English brom + tun, while Brampton literally means the "Bramble Enclosure or Farmstead" from the Old English bram + tun. 1

Early Origins of the Branton family

The surname Branton was first found in Norfolk where they held estates as far back as 1205, when Geoffery Brompton at that time. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Peter de Brampton in Derbyshire; Hugh de Brompton in Huntingdonshire; Geoffrey de Bampton, Huntingdonshire; Brian de Brampton, Gloucestershire; Alan de Bramtone, Cambridgeshire; and William de Brampton, Oxfordshire. 3

The Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III listed Bryan de Brumpton, Herefordshire and Adam de Brumpton, Salop (Shropshire) 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign.) 3

Moving to the south in Devon, we found this interesting entry about the Braunton variant which we include in full: Across the Taw lies Braunton, presumably derived from Brannock's ' tun,' Brannock being the patron saint; and the legend of the foundation of the church averring that he was directed to build it where he next saw a sow and her litter, in witness whereof sow and farrows are to be seen duly carven on a boss. Legend further affirms that he obtained the timber from a forest which then grew upon the site of the sandy waste fringing the Taw, now known as Braunton Burrows, and drew it to the spot by deer. And it would be a remarkable coincidence if the remains had not suggested the tradition that a submerged forest does exist in Barnstaple Bay near the point indicated, and that cervine bones and antlers have been found therein. On the cliffs at Croyde, hard by, flint chips are so numerous as to indicate the existence there of a prehistoric implement-manufactory." 4

Interestingly, the name Rampton, typically found in Cambridgeshire and Nottinghamshire is a 13th century variant of the name appearing at that time as Ramtune in Cambridgeshire. 1 This variant is derived from the ancient English word "ram" (meaning enclosure) + "tun." 5

Early History of the Branton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branton research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1436, 1440, 1508, 1690 and 1751 are included under the topic Early Branton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branton Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Branton has been recorded under many different variations, including Brampton, Bramton, Brompton, Brumton, Rampton and others.

Early Notables of the Branton family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Edward Brampton, KG (1440-1508), the Governor of Guernsey, a knight, adventurer, ship commander and the godson and protégé of...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Branton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branton Ranking

In the United States, the name Branton is the 6,882^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Branton family to Ireland

Some of the Branton 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.

Branton migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Branton or a variant listed above:

Branton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Branton, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 7

Branton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

L Branton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1860 7

Branton migration to Australia +

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

Branton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Branton, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 8
Mr. William Branton, British Convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Corona" on 13th October 1866, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Branton (post 1700) +

Billie Branton (b. 1972), American professional football player
Parey Pershing Branton Sr. (b. 1916), retired American businessman and a former Democratic member of the Louisiana House
Ronald Branton (1933-2024), Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1953 and 1962
Bobbie Branton (b. 1962), Canadian professional hockey player
J. Branton Wallace, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1940 10

Sources +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/corona
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html