Show ContentsBreakey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Breakey first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived near a newly cultivated piece of land. The surname Breakey is derived from the Old English word bræc. 1

Early Origins of the Breakey family

The surname Breakey was first found in Shropshire where Peter de la Breche was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1221. A few years later, Peter de la Brach was listed in Surrey in 1248 and Philip atte Breche was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Later again, Rose atte Brache was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Bedfordshire in 1309. Robert le Brechere was listed at Oseney, Oxfordshire in 1245, while William le Brechere was found in Cornwall in 1297. 1

Early History of the Breakey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Breakey research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Breakey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Breakey Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Breakey has appeared include Breach, Brech, Britch, Breashears, Breashear and many more.

Early Notables of the Breakey family

More information is included under the topic Early Breakey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Breakey family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Breakey arrived in North America very early: William Breach junior who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1844; A. Breach arrived in San Francisco Cal. in 1852; Adam Brech arrived in Philadelphia in 1743.


Contemporary Notables of the name Breakey (post 1700) +

  • James Ritchison Breakey Jr. (1900-1969), American Republican politician, Circuit Judge in Michigan 22nd Circuit, 1945-67; Candidate for justice of Michigan State Supreme Court, 1960 2


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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