English: of uncertain origin. It may be a nickname for someone
thought to resemble a brush (Middle English brusche, from Old
French brosse), or a metonymic occupational name for a brush
maker. It could also be from a related word, brusche ‘cut
wood’, ‘branches lopped off trees’ (Old French brousse),
applied as a metonymic occupational name for a forester or woodcutter,
or a topographic name for someone who lived in a scrubby area of
country, from Old French broce ‘brushwood’, ‘scrub’, ‘thicket’
(Late Latin bruscia).
Respelling of German Brusch or
Brüsch, a topographic name from the field name Brüsch
(Middle High German brüsch ‘heather’, ‘broom’ or ‘brush’).
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
Start your FREE family tree. Who will you discover?
A family tree is the easiest way to start discovering your family history. To begin, just enter whatever you know and we'll use that to try and find more information for you.
Begin your family tree with your name:
The brush name in History
A unique volume of fascinating facts, statistics and commentary following the brush family name as far back in history as possible.
Member Connections
Anonymously contact one of the Ancestry members researching the brush last name.