Branden

Branden is slightly respelled version of Brandon – a name which often gets associated with the Irish Brendan. The “Bran” vs. “Bren” prefix is a little tricky. Brandon (and thus Branden) is typically connected with a surname derived from a couple of place names in England. Originally rendered as “Brandun(e)”, these villages date back over 1,000 years and take their name from the Olde English words “brom” meaning “broom” (in reference to a thorny bush; the twigs from which were used to make brooms) and “dun” which referred to a “down” (a treeless hill). These old medieval hamlets would have been named Brandun for a characteristic topographical feature of their landscape (i.e., “broom hill”). Names with the “Bren” prefix, however, are considered more Irish-Gaelic, from “Breandán” (Brendan) – probably borrowed from the Welsh “breenhin” – meaning “prince”. In summary, the “Bran” prefix is considered English while the “Bren” names are more Irish. Although they sound so similar, they are often all considered variants of one another.