Marlon Brando was not Italian. He's surname was originally spelled Brandeu. It's French.?

Question

Marlon Brando was not Italian. He's surname was originally spelled Brandeu. It's French.?

Answer 1

Marlon Brando was born in Omaha, Neb., on April 3, 1924. From the outset the enigmatic Brando was a rebel, or seemed to be. He resented authority. He questioned everything.

   According to his 1994 autobiography, “"Songs My Mother Taught Me",” Brando survived a difficult childhood. He was given the nickname of “Bud,” to distinguish the youngster from his abusive father, Marlon Brando, Sr., who worked as a businessman and a salesman. Brando’s mother, Dorothy Pennebaker Brando, performed as an actress in community theaters when she was able to. His parents were both remote, troubled alcoholics. “"When you are a child who is unwanted or unwelcome",” Brando explained, “"and the essence of what you are seems to be unacceptable, you look for an identity that will be acceptable," he once said.

www.ancestry.com and www.rootsweb.com--family trees:

Marlon Brando

Birth:  3 Apr 1924

Omaha , Douglas, Nebraska, USA  

Death:  1 Jul 2004

Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA  

Father: Marlon Brando,Sr.

Birth:  11 Jan 1895 ,Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska, USA  

Death:  17 July 1965 , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA  

(NOTE--Occupation: Cattle-feed, chicken-feed and limestone salesman; later became Brando's business manager )

          Married: Unknown date

Dorothy J Pennebaker

Birth:  20 Jan 1897 ,Grand Island, Hall, Nebraska, USA  

Death:  31 Mar 1954 ,Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, USA

(Her parents: Father: William John PENNEBAKER b: 1868 in Versailles, Morgan, Missouri, USA & Mother: Bessie Grace GAHAN)

Paternal Grandparents:

Eugene E Brando  

Birth:  15 May 1857 , Rome, Oneida, New York, USA  

Death:  1899 , Nebraska, USA  

       Married: 1878 to

Maria Jane Gleason (parents unknown; also shown as Marie HOLLOWAY )

Birth:  20 Mar 1857,Wisconsin, USA  

Death:  27 Dec 1953 ,Mendocino, California, USA  

Paternal Great-Grandparents:

James H Brando (Occupation: 1850 Blacksmith)

Birth:  1827 ,Greene, New York, USA (1808 also shown)

Death: BEF 1859

(NOTE: He led an adventurous life including a runaway voyage on a whaling ship.)

         Married: 1842 in , , New York, USA

Nancy H Joslin (Parents:  James Joslin  &  Charity Denslow)

Birth:  1825 ,Herkimer, New York, USA

Death: no date given

Paternal 2nd Great-grandparents:

Apollos "Paulus" BRANDO

Birth: 1791 in Coxsackie, Greene Co., NY

Death: 29 OCT 1874 in Catskill, Green Co., NY

          Married: 27 FEB 1816 in Green Co., NY

Catherine VAN ORDEN*  (Her Father: John VAN ORDEN &

Mother: Catharine PERSEN)

*Birth: 4 OCT 1797 in Greene Co., NY

Death: 9 MAR 1883 in Greene Co., NY

Paternal 3rd Great-Grandparents:

Henry BRANDO (or Hendricus Brandow)

Birth: 3 FEB 1765 in Catskill, Greene, NY

Death: no date given

        Married: ABT 1781 in Greene, Chenango, NY

Elizabeth Steenberg.

Birth  ABT 1767 in Greene, Chenango, NY

Death: Unknown

Paternal 4th Great-grandparents:

Hieronymus BRANDOW

Birth: 31 OCT 1729 in Athens, Greene Co., NY (may reflect christening date).

Death: 17 NOV 1812 in Catskill, Greene, NY

       Married: 1754 in Catskill, Greene Co., NY

Annatje LEHMANN

Birth : 27 JUN 1739 in Athens, Greene, NY

Death: CATSKILL, Greene, NY ; no date given

Paternal 5th Great-grandparents:

Niklas 'Nicolaus' Brandow

Birth: ABT 1702 in Hoogduytsland ,Germany

Death: 1770 in Greene Co., NY

     Married: 5 NOV 1726 in Kingston, Greene Co., NY to

Elizabeth KLYN

Birth:4 JAN 1704/05  in Athens, Greene Co., NY

Death: UNKNOWN

(NOTE: Other spellings of her name--Liesabetha 'Elizabeth' Klein ; Anna Elizabetha Klein ;Elisabeth Kleyn)

Paternal 6th Great-Grandparents:

Johann Wilhelm BRANDAU

Birth: 1679  Pfalz,Bayern,Germany  

Death: DEC  1747  New Amsterdam,NY  

          Married: 1705 in Pfalz, Palaine, Germany to

Maria Elisabeth Catharina Reuter (or Carharuse)

Birth: 1688 in Rotterdam, Holland

Death:  in Catskill, Greene, NY, USA; no date given

(So, you can see, Mr. Brando's family originated in Germany, not France. Nor was the family name spelled "Brandeu".)

Answer 2

ok.. his italian family could've immigrated from France

He was Italian AND bi. ;)

Answer 3

Not exactly. The family was one of the early German/Dutch families in the settling of New Amsterdam with the original name being "Brandow"

He's Marlon Jr

Dad Marlon

Grandfather Eugene

Great-grandfather James Brando

Great-great grandfather Paulus Brandow

GGG grandfather Hendrickus Brandow

GGGG grandfather Hieronymus Brandow

GGGGG grandfather Nicolaus Brandow

Sorry it's not French, but it's a long-researched and well-documented lineage. The Holland Society in NY has the original documents in their collection.

Answer 4

It still sounds italian to me. Mabey german. Mabey french.

Answer 5

Marlon Brando was American. The family was of mixed Dutch, Irish, German, Huguenot, and English descent.