Branson

Branson is the transferred use of an English surname that either originated from a place name or as a patronymic last name (i.e., passed down from the father). In terms of the latter probability, Branson simply means “son of Brando” whereby Brando comes from an Old Nordic nickname Brandr meaning “firebrand, blade of a sword”. As a surname derived from a location, Branson could have come from any one of several villages throughout England so-called Branson, Branston, Brandeston, etc. All such towns owe their names to the Olde English elements “brand” meaning “fire, to burn” and “tūn” meaning “town” as a way of describing an area which had been cleared by burning (burning terrain was common in medieval times as a method for reclaiming land for agricultural purposes). The surname dates back to the early 13th century in England. As a forename, usage of Branson is really quite recent and mainly restricted to the United States.