Branwen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Wales

Etymology of Branwen

The Branwen surname is derived from the female Welsh forename Branwen or Brangwain. These names are derived from the Welsh words "bran," which means "raven," and "wen" or "gwen," which mean "fair." This is a metronymic surname, that is, one created from the name of a female ancestor.

Early Origins of the Branwen family

Early History of the Branwen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Branwen research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1283, 1300, 1500 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Branwen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Branwen Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Branwen have included Brandwin, Brandewin, Brandwine, Bryngwyn, Branwen, Brangwain, Brangwyne, Brangwayn and many more.

Early Notables of the Branwen family

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

Migration of the Branwen family

North America in the 1800s and 1900s saw the arrival of many Welsh people hoping to share in the wealth of land, work, and freedom that they felt North America held. Those who made the journey often attained those expectations, but only through an enormous amount of hard work, perseverance, and often a bout of good luck. These immigrants helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and culture of both Canada and the United States. Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Branwen: a number of settlers who arrived in the New World by the 19th century.