Brainard Family History
Brainard Name Meaning
English (Essex): variant of Brainwood a nickname from Middle English brainwod ‘mad in the mind furious’ for someone who easily lost his temper. The surname has a long history in villages near Chelmsford Essex and its 17th-century variants including Branward Branard Braynard and Braynerd occur within 5 or 6 miles of Writtle where the name originated in the early 14th century.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022