Map of England showing where the Brownfield arms are recorded
The Brownfield arms were recorded in Stafford, c. 1620.
Staffordshire was mixed country of moorland, farmland and early ironworking. Its landed families were spread widely rather than concentrated, and each holding brought its own claim to arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Brownfield arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Stafford.
Origin & History of the Brownfield Family in England
The surname Brownfield is a locative name, meaning it was originally used to describe people who lived near a specific piece of open land or a field characterized by its brownish soil or vegetation. By the early 17th century, the family had established a notable presence in the English county of Staffordshire. Records confirm that members of the family were living in the Stafford area by 1620, a time when many families were deeply rooted in the local agricultural landscape. During this period, the name was often associated with yeoman farmers or tradespeople who played a vital role in the development of local parish communities. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the region, eventually spreading across England and later to the American colonies as part of the broader patterns of migration that defined the 17th century.
Brownfield Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Brunfeld
Old English words for brown and open land or field.
This name
BrownfieldA topographic name for someone who lived near an area of uncultivated brown land.
also spelled
Brownfeild
Brounfield
Brownfyld
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Staffordshire Record Office, Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry: Parish Registers of St. Mary's, Stafford, 1620
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
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