Brandon (given name)
| Pronunciation | /ˈbrændən/ BRAN-dən |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male (and occasionally Female) |
| Language(s) | Old Irish, Old Welsh, Old English |
| Meaning | Prince |
| Region of origin | Ireland, Wales, England |
| Variant form(s) | Brandan; Branden; Brandyn; Brendon |
| Derived | breenhin or brōm + dūn |
| Related names | Brendan; Brando; Brad (surname); Brandon (surname); Brandi; Brandie; Brandy; Brendan |
"Brandon" as a given name originates from two or possibly three separate sources, two Celtic, the other, Anglo-Saxon, and has historically been used by these different cultures independently. Today, most people with the name do not have any connection or lineage with any of these sources and use them as if they were the same name. In the instances of the Celtic origins, it is either a variant of the Irish masculine given name, Breandán, or descended from the Old Welsh name Brân, meaning "crow". The Anglo-Saxon origin is the surname Brandon.
The given name Brandon as a variant form of the Irish given name Brendan is an Anglicised form of the Old Irish name, Bréanainn, which is in turn derived from the earlier Old Irish Brénainn. The mediaeval Latin form of the name, Brendanus, has influenced its spelling in the modern English and Irish forms. However, the name has no meaning in the Irish language, and was absorbed from the Old Welsh breenhin, meaning Prince or Chieftain.
In the instance of the Welsh "Bran" as the origin, meaning "crow", there is also a general Celtic nebula of related words and names across the European continent.
In the instance of the Anglo-Saxon origin, the surname can be derived from any of the numerous place-names in England, composed of two elements (brōm + dūn) derived from the Old English language. The first element, brōm, means "broom" or "gorse", and the second, dūn, means "hill". Such places can include: Brandon, County Durham; Brandon, Northumberland; Brandon, Suffolk; Brandon, Warwickshire; and other locations. However, one location, Brandon in Lincolnshire, may be connected to the River Brant, which runs close by. This river's name is derived from two Old English elements: brant, meaning "steep", "deep"; and dūn, meaning "hill" The name of this location is probably in reference to the river's steep banks. A famous instance of the use of 'Brandon' as a surname is that of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. He was a close friend and brother-in-law of King Henry VIII.
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