This is a locational name which derives from one of the villages called Branston, Brandeston, Brandeston, or Braunston in Leicester, Lincoln, Stafford, Suffolk, Norfolk and Northampton. These are all Olde Norse-Viking names with exactly the same meaning which is, the farm (tun) cleared by burning (brandr), from the pre 9th century A.D. The name development has included Haim de Branzton, (1202 Lincoln), Holte de Brandeston (1210 Suffolk), Robert Braunston and William Branston (1568 Suffolk), the modern spellings being Branston, Branson, Bransom, Bramston and Bramson. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Gilbert de Branteston which was dated 1200 in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk during the reign of King John known as Lackland 1216-1272 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.