Bray Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Bray last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Bray last name
Meaning of the Bray last name: hill, or brave. The Bray surname has several roots. In England it comes from Bray in Berkshire or High Bray in Devon; in Cornwall it may be a nickname from a word for "brave"; in Normandy it comes from Bray near Rouen. The last name is common in Cornwall and Devon. A curious detail of this family name meaning: the song "The Vicar of Bray" made the Berkshire village famous.
Arms associated with the Bray name
In heraldry the full achievement adds a helmet, mantling and other parts around the shield, and coats of arms associated with the Bray name are usually shown in that fuller form.
Get your full Bray family history
This is only a glimpse of the Bray story. The full Bray history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Bray coat of arms. Get the full Bray report.
Bray name FAQ
What does the Bray name mean?
Hill, or brave. Common variants include Braye, Brey, Brai.
Where does the Bray surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Bray coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bray coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).