BRIGHTMAN
Brightman is an English surname of Anglo‑Saxon origin that is found primarily in England. The name derives from the Old English elements beorht, meaning “bright” or “fair”, and mann, meaning “man”. As such the literal translation is “bright man” or “shining man”.
Early records of the surname appear in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the Latinised form Brihtmanus, suggesting that the name began as a personal nickname. The first English spelling recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk is Brithman, dated 1273. In the early thirteenth century the surname was in circulation, for example a Robert Brithman is noted in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex in 1327.
The name was also associated with particular occupations or attributes. It may have been applied to a person known for a cheerful, luminous character or to a craftsman involved in polishing metal or working with bright glass. An early bearer, Thomas Brightman (1562‑1607), was rector of Hawnes in Bedfordshire and is recorded as having produced a treatise on the Apocalypse under divine inspiration.
The heraldic arms belonging to the Brightman family of Paris Garden, Surrey, consist of a blue field bearing three gold lions rampant. The crest shows an arm in armour holding a sword issuing from the rays of a sun. These arms are an important symbol of the family's identity in the region.
The surname has maintained a strong presence in the county of Essex, enduring into the present day. Migration from Britain has brought the name to Scotland, Ireland and later to the United States, Canada and Australia. In the 21st century it is most commonly seen in the United States, particularly in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York; it also appears, though less frequently, in Canada and Australia.
Modern public awareness of the name is largely due to Sarah Brightman, an English soprano, actress, musician and dancer who gained acclaim for her work in classical crossover music and in several Broadway productions.
Over the centuries the name has been recorded in a variety of orthographic forms, including Brightmann, Brigtman, Brighman, Brichtman, Brightmun and Bryghtman. A variant spelling that pronounces the middle “e” as a short “i” is occasionally seen as Brite-man. Related surnames such as Bright, Briteman and Bridgeman share similar phonetic elements but may have evolved independently in different localities.
Typical given names associated with the Brightman surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Philip
- Robert
- Stephen
- Stuart
Female
- Jacqueline
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Kelly
- Lisa
- Louise
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Brightman in...
Braille
⠃⠗⠊⠛⠓⠞⠍⠁⠝
Morse
-....-...--.....---.--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,159 people named Brightman in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,591st most common surname in Britain. Around 18 in a million people in Britain are named Brightman.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Brightman
- Sarah Brightman - Soprano, musical theatre actress, and dancer
- John Brightman, Baron Brightman - Judge (1911 to 2006)
- Frank Edward Brightman - Academic (1856 to 1932)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.