This interesting surname of Scottish origin is a regional name for someone from Brabant in the Low countries, from the earlier Scottish "Brebner", "Bradbanare", "native or inhabitant of Brabant". The surname dates back to the early 15th Century (see below). Further recordings include one Agnus Brebner who witnesses an Elgin document of 1489 "Calendar of the Laing charters", and Andrew Brabnere was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1507. Variations in the idiom of the spellings include Brimner, Bremner, Brymner, etc., Church records include one William, son of Robert and Catherine Bremner, who was christened, at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, on December 10th 1736, John Bremner who married Margaret Donaldson at St. Dunstan in the East, London, on September 11th 1763 and Margaret Bremner who was christened in Edinburgh on April 29th 1773. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter Brabounare held a tenement in Irvine, which was dated 1418, in the documents of the Royal burgh of Irvine, Scotland, during the reign of King James 1 of Scotland, 1406 - 1437. 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.