Brash Name History Theories

Research by Nick Brash
Further comment by Paul Justin Brash

The surname Brash belongs to that class of surnames derived from the name of the place where the original bearer lived or where he once held land. In this case the name originates from the lands in Fife, Scotland, which were called Bras.

It appears another derivative is from the original English 'Brasian', which means "to make brass". The initial bearer of this name was probably a worker in brass.

Brash became a common name in Strathblane in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The only variant in the surname is Brasher. Early instances of the name in Scotland include, John Brash, a stabler married in Edinburgh in 1622, and Robert Brash, a gardener married in Edinburgh in 1630.

A grant of Arms (Coat of Arms) was granted to the bearer of this name on 24th May 1665. It is as follows:

BLAZON OF ARMS: Quarterly, per fess indented sable and argent, four cinquefoils counter-changed. (translation: Sable (black) denotes power and Argent (white) denotes peace).

CREST: A demi-lion replant per pale and/or sable (the Lion symbolizes sovereignty, majesty and bravery, or as yellow could denote generosity)

MOTTO: Amor Patriae (The love of country)

All this sounds good but our paternal grandfather (or great-grandfather) Louis Brash, was originally a German Jew, who by family folklore changed the spelling from Brasch to Brash. So we may be related to the famous Rabbi Brasch, former head of the Jewish faith in Australia.

Definition of Brash

The Webster Dictionary defines Brash as:
Function: adjective
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1566

- brash·ly adverb
- brash·ness noun
- brash·ed verb

1

brittle:

"brash wood"

2a

heedless of the consequences :

"the brashest bush pilot of them all"

2b

done in haste without regard for consequences :

"brash acts"

3a

full of fresh raw vitality :

"a brash frontier town"

3b

uninhibitedly energetic or demonstrative :

"a brash comedian"

4a

lacking restraint and discernment :

"brash remarks"

4b

aggressively self-assertive :

"brash to the point of arrogance"

5

piercingly sharp :

"a brash squeal of brakes"

6

marked by vivid contrast :

"brash colors"

Function: noun
Etymology: obsolete English brash to breach a wall
Date: 1787

a mass of fragments (as of ice): "brash ice"

Recent research has revealed that brash can also be used as a verb:

to get brashed; to get very intoxicated on alcohol and other substances; "God, I was brashed last night" (Origins: A friend of Justin Brash once described the 3 stages of drunkeness: getting smashed, trashed and brashed)