Brander Family History

Dutch: occupational name for an inspector of weights, measures, and barrels who established his approval by branding. Or for someone who burned (branden ‘to burn’) a material or product; compare for instance Kolenbrander ‘charcoalburner’.

German and Swiss German: habitational name for someone from any of the many places called Brand or Brandt (see Brandt). Jewish (Ashkenazic): perhaps an occupational name for fireman or distiller from German Brand Yiddish brand ‘conflagration’.

Danish: habitational name for someone from a place called Brande.

Scottish: occupational name from Scots dialect brander ‘gridiron’ and probably with the sense of ‘one who brands’.