Etymology

Most likely from brand in the sense of firebrand (a term often used for the heated, glowing end of a forged tool), implying something that is newly forged (first citation 1570), or less likely from brand as in a branding iron. The first element of the variant bran new, with the post nasal stop deletion common to English (compare the common pronunciation of hunting as hunning [hə.nʌŋ]), is often back-etymologized as being from bran as if from cases where new items were supposedly "packaged up with unwanted grain (bran) in the 18th century to protect the objects during transit" (source unknown). Both variants are well attested.