Brandrick

This rare and unusual name has "Saxon" origins. It appears to derive from the German "Brand" or the Norse "Braudr" plus the Olde English pre 7th Century "Ric" and translates as "a place cleared by burning". Occassionally, the prefix "Brand" can be a personal name, but even so the original meaning is the same. What is also unusual about this name is that it does not appear to be recorded in England before the 17th Century, which may imply that it is of Huguenot emigre status, although this is not proven. The name recordings include Margret Brandrick, christened at St. Giles Church, Cripplegate, London on April 20th 1731. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Brendrick, which was dated 1678, witness at St. Dunstans in the East, Stepney, during the reign of King Charles II, "The Merry Monarch", 1660 - 1685. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.