Recorded in many spelling forms including: Brand, Brandt, Braund, Brann, Braun, Braune, Braunes, Brawn, and Bront, is English. However its derivation is from the pre 7th century Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Germanic male given name "Brando", itself a short form of various compound personal name, such as Hildebrand. "Brand", meaning sword or fire-brand, is a derivative of "brinnan", meaning to flash. The name spellings as Brant, Brand, and Braun form the first element of various English placenames, such as Brandeston, in the county of Suffolk, and Branston and Braunston in the counties of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Warwickshire. Early examples of the surname recordings taken from surviving rolls and charters of the medieval period include: Ralph Brand in the Pipe Rolls of the city of London in 1184, and Hamo Braund in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire, in 1119. Later examples taken from early church registers include John Brand and Agnes Bissine were married at the church of Saint Lawrence Pountney, in the city of London, on March 11 1546, Rosa Brant was christened at St. Andrew's, Enfield, on March 25th 1565, and Richard Braune married Mary Streate, at St James Clerkenwell, on March 1st 1660. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Brant, which was dated 1086, in the Domesday Book, Norfolk, during the reign of King William 1, known as "The Conqueror", 1066 - 1087. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.