The Old English masculine name Brun is identical with the adjective meaning ‘brown’ (OE brūn). It appears to have become established as an independent forename only in the later tenth century, its earliest recorded bearers living c. 970. Over the next three generations the name proliferated at certain specific and relatively modest social levels. Persons recorded before 1066 included a priest (Brun 1), someone who may have been the senior reeve of a regionally important thegn (Brun 2), a servant and beneficiary of Bishop Ælfric II of Elmham (Ælfric 104) (d. 1038) (Brun 3), and at least five moneyers active in different mints between the 970s and the 1030s (Brun 5–12).
The strong form (Brun) and weak form (Bruna) of the name are both on record (for instance on the coins) (Redin 1919: 11–12, 45), but in practice in DB they are impossible to distinguish. In theory, spellings in Brune and Bruno ought to stand for Bruna, but the Danelaw thegn Brun 14 was spelled Brune once and Brun the other six times. The occasional spelling Brunus could represent the Latinization of either the strong or the weak form. Successive Latinization and deLatinization of the weak form as DB moved through several stages of copying would potentially have turned Brune to Brunus to Brun or vice versa.
Von Feilitzen (1937: 209) suggested that some of the DB entries might have stood for a Scandinavian name (ON Brúnn, ODan Brun), but evidence for the use of that name in England is vanishingly thin (Fellows Jensen 1968: 66).
The 1086 subtenant in Warwickshire whom DB calls Bruno has usually been regarded as having the name Bruno, but that name seems not to have been used in Normandy (Adigard des Gautries 1954; Fauroux 1961; Bates 1998) and in the French-speaking lands was associated rather with Burgundy, Champagne, and the Rhineland (Morlet 1968: 61). He is much more likely to have been an Englishman called Brun (Brun 27).
All the relevant material for the spellings Brun, Brune, Bruno, and Brunus is gathered here for convenience under the form Brun; some of the individuals concerned will undoubtedly have been called Bruna rather than Brun but it is impossible to distinguish systematically between the two forms of the name.
TRE landowners called Brun ran up the social scale from a free peasant of Bury St Edmunds abbey with 5 acres to several men with 5 or 6 hides or carucates; they included two reeves and two priests, tending to confirming the impression given by the non-Domesday evidence about the social groups in which this name was used in the eleventh century.
Adigard des Gautries 1954: Jean Adigard des Gautries, Les noms de personnes scandinaves en Normandie de 911 à 1066, Nomina Germanica 11 (Lund: Carl Bloms, 1954)
Bates 1998: Regesta Regum Anglo-Normannorum: The Acta of William I (1066–1087), ed. David Bates (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1998)
Fauroux 1961: Marie Fauroux, Recueil des actes des ducs de Normandie (911–1066), Mémoires de la Société des Antiquaires de Normandie, 36 (Caen, 1961)
Fellows Jensen 1968: Gillian Fellows Jensen, Scandinavian Personal Names in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire (Copenhagen: I Kommission hos Akademisk Forlag, 1968)
Morlet 1968: Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Les Noms de personne sur le territoire de l’ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe siècle, I: Les noms issus du germanique continental et les creations gallo-germaniques (Paris: Editions de Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1968)
Redin 1919: Mats Redin, Studies on Uncompounded Personal Names in Old English, Inaugural Dissertation (Uppsala University, 1919)
von Feilitzen 1937: Olof von Feilitzen, The Pre-Conquest Personal Names of Domesday Book, Nomina Germanica 3 (Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksells, 1937)
Spellings in Domesday Book: Brun(us), Brune, Bruno, Bruns
Forms in modern scholarship:
von Feilitzen head forms: Brūn, Brune, Bruns
Phillimore edition: Brown, Brunn
Alecto edition: Brun, Brune, Bruno
Shire | Phil. ref. | Vill | Holder 1066 DB Spelling | Holder 1066 | Lord 1066 | Tenant-in-Chief 1086 | 1086 subtenant | Fiscal value | 1066 value | 1086 value | Holder 1066 ID conf. | Show on map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cheshire | 1,30 | Chelford | Brun | Brun 'of Siddington' | - | Hugh, earl | - | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | A | Map |
Cheshire | 9,28 | Over Alderley | Brun | Brun 'of Siddington' | - | Hugh, earl | William fitzNigel | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | A | Map |
Cheshire | 13,5 | Bramhall | Brun | Brun 'of Siddington' | - | Hugh, earl | Hamon de Mascy | 0.50 | 0.80 | 0.13 | A | Map |
Cheshire | 14,5 | Norbury | Brun | Brun 'of Siddington' | - | Hugh, earl | Bigot de Loges | 1.00 | 0.50 | 0.15 | A | Map |
Cheshire | 14,7 | Siddington | Brun | Brun 'of Siddington' | - | Hugh, earl | Bigot de Loges | 1.50 | 1.00 | 0.25 | A | Map |
Derbyshire | 1,30 | Ludworth | Brun | Brun 'of Siddington' | - | William, king | - | 0.50 | 0.17 | 0.00 | A | Map |
Derbyshire | 6,24 | Marston on Dove | Brun | Brun 'of Rodsley' | - | Henry de Ferrers | unnamed monks of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives | 1.00 | 2.50 | 2.50 | B | Map |
Derbyshire | 6,62 | Rodsley | Brune | Brun 'of Rodsley' | - | Henry de Ferrers | John 'of Rodsley' | 1.50 | 4.00 | 1.00 | B | Map |
Derbyshire | 13,2 | Shipley | Brun | Brun 'of Rodsley' | - | Gilbert of Ghent | Mauger 'of Ilkeston' | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.75 | B | Map |
Derbyshire | B7 | Derby | Brun | Brun 'of Rodsley' | - | William, king | Norman of Lincoln | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | B | Map |
Dorset | 26,1 | Buckhorn Weston | Bruno | Brun 'of Buckhorn Weston' | - | Robert, count of Mortain | Hamon 'of Buckhorn Weston' | 3.50 | 2.00 | 3.50 | A | Map |
Essex | 24,66 | Tolleshunt | Brunus | Brun 'of Lawling' | - | Swein of Essex | Odo 'the man of Swein of Essex' | 1.83 | 1.00 | 1.25 | A | Map |
Essex | 34,24 | Lawling | Brun | Brun 'of Lawling' | - | Ranulph Peverel | - | 2.79 | 4.00 | 3.75 | A | Map |
Herefordshire | 14,4 | Newton | Bruns | Brun 'of Newton' | - | William d'Écouis | Bernard Beard | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.60 | E | Map |
Nottinghamshire | 10,28 | Strelley | Brun | Brun 'of Rodsley' | - | William Peverel | Ambrose | 0.38 | 0.15 | 0.05 | B | Map |
Nottinghamshire | 10,31 | Brinsley | Brun | Brun 'of Rodsley' | - | William Peverel | Æthelric 'of Brinsley' | 0.50 | 0.33 | 0.20 | B | Map |
Nottinghamshire | 30,55 | Sutton Passeys | Brun | Brun 'of Rodsley' | - | 1 king's thegn 'of Sutton Passeys' | - | 0.75 | 0.00 | 0.00 | B | Map |
Oxfordshire | 14,4 | Cadwell | Brun | Brun the priest, 'of Cadwell' | - | Brun the priest, 'of Cadwell' | - | 0.75 | 1.00 | 1.50 | A | Map |
Somerset | 45,3 | Babcary | Bruno | Brun 'of Buckhorn Weston' | - | Humphrey the chamberlain | - | 2.50 | 2.00 | 2.50 | A | Map |
Suffolk | 1,119 | Bramford | Brun | Brun, reeve of Ipswich | Stigand, archbishop of Canterbury | William, king | - | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.25 | B | Map |
Suffolk | 7,63 | Baylham | Brun | Brun, reeve of Ipswich | Eadgyth, queen | Roger Bigod | Warenger 'of Hedingham' | 0.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | A | Map |
Suffolk | 7,64 | Stonham | Brun | Brun, reeve of Ipswich | - | Roger Bigod | Warenger 'of Hedingham' | 0.50 | 1.00 | 2.00 | A | Map |
Suffolk | 16,43 | Brantham | Brun | Brun 'of Brantham' | - | Odo, bishop of Bayeux | - | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.14 | C | Map |
Suffolk | 67,10 | Grundisburgh | Brunus | Brun 'of Grundisburgh' | Eadric of Laxfield | Hervey de Bourges | - | 0.17 | 0.25 | 0.20 | C | Map |
Yorkshire | C16 | York | Brun | Brun the priest, 'of York' | - | William, king | Osbern d'Arques | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | A | Map |
Yorkshire | 1N76 | East Newton | Brune | Brun 'of East Newton' | - | William, king | - | 2.00 | 0.50 | 0.50 | A | Map |
Yorkshire | 1E4 | Cleaving | Brune | Brun 'of Cleaving' | - | William, king | - | 0.58 | 0.27 | 0.27 | A | Map |
Yorkshire | CW8 | Clifton | Brune | Brun 'of Clifton' | - | William, king | - | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | A | Map |
Total | 26.24 | 24.32 | 21.49 |
Shire | Phil. ref. | Vill | Lord 1066 DB Spelling | Holder 1066 | Lord 1066 | Tenant-in-Chief 1086 | 1086 subtenant | Fiscal value | 1066 value | 1086 value | Lord 1066 ID conf. | Show on map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suffolk | 7,64 | Stonham | Brun | 5 free men | Brun | Roger Bigod | Warenger 'of Hedingham' | 0.13 | 0.15 | 0.15 | A | Map |
Suffolk | 7,65 | Baylham | Brun | Wulfbeald 'of Baylham' | Brun | Roger Bigod | Warenger 'of Hedingham' | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | A | Map |
Suffolk | 7,66 | Langhedena | Brun | Ælfric 'of Langhedena' | Brun | Roger Bigod | Ælfric 'of Langhedena' | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.10 | A | Map |
Total | 0.24 | 0.28 | 0.28 |
Shire | Phil. ref. | Vill | Lord 2 1066 DB Spelling | Holder 1066 | Lord 1066 | Tenant-in-Chief 1086 | 1086 subtenant | Fiscal value | 1066 value | 1086 value | Lord 2 1066 ID conf. | Show on map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suffolk | 8,8 | Hasketon | Brun | 1 free man | Eadric of Laxfield | Roger the Poitevin | Roger fitzArnold | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | C | Map |
Total | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
Shire | Phil. ref. | Vill | TIC DB Spelling | Holder 1066 | Lord 1066 | Tenant-in-Chief 1086 | 1086 subtenant | Fiscal value | 1066 value | 1086 value | TIC ID conf. | Show on map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oxfordshire | 14,4 | Cadwell | Brun | Brun the priest, 'of Cadwell' | - | Brun the priest, 'of Cadwell' | - | 0.75 | 1.00 | 1.50 | - | Map |
Total | 0.75 | 1.00 | 1.50 |
Shire | Phil. ref. | Vill | Subtenant DB Spelling | Holder 1066 | Lord 1066 | Tenant-in-Chief 1086 | 1086 subtenant | Fiscal value | 1066 value | 1086 value | Subtenant ID conf. | Show on map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Warwickshire | 31,9 | Brownsover | Bruno | Leofwine 'of Monks Kirby' | - | Geoffrey de La Guerche | Brun 'of Brownsover' | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | - | Map |
Total | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Shire | Phil. ref. | Vill | Sub-subtenant DB Spelling | Holder 1066 | Lord 1066 | Tenant-in-Chief 1086 | 1086 subtenant | Fiscal value | 1066 value | 1086 value | Sub-subtenant ID conf. | Show on map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suffolk | 7,63 | Baylham | Brun | Brun, reeve of Ipswich | Eadgyth, queen | Roger Bigod | Warenger 'of Hedingham' | 0.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | - | Map |
Total | 0.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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