Show ContentsBrodhurst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Brodhurst name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in Cheshire where the name is derived from a now unknown place in the east of that county. The place-name Broadhurst is derived from the old English terms brade, which meant broad or wide, and hurst, a word that meant forest or wood. 1

Early Origins of the Brodhurst family

The surname Brodhurst was first found in Cheshire where "the Broadhursts have long been inhabitants of Prestbury and Gawsworth." 2 Alternatively, the name could have originated from "a manor in the parish of Horsted Keynes, co. Sussex" 3 or another source notes that the name was also "a location name in Lincolnshire." 4

Early History of the Brodhurst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brodhurst research. Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brodhurst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brodhurst Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Brodhurst has undergone many spelling variations, including Broadhurst, Brodhurst and others.

Early Notables of the Brodhurst family

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


United States Brodhurst migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Brodhurst were among those contributors:

Brodhurst Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hugh Brodhurst, who landed in Virginia in 1659 5
  • Ann Brodhurst, who landed in Virginia in 1661 5
  • Walter Brodhurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1661 5
  • Thomas Brodhurst, who landed in Virginia in 1664 5
  • Fra Brodhurst, who arrived in Virginia in 1696 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brodhurst (post 1700) +

  • Bernard Maynard Lucas Brodhurst (1873-1915), English cricketer who played for Hampshire in 1897
  • Arthur Hugh "Podge" Brodhurst (1916-2006), English cricketer who played for Cambridge University and Gloucestershire from 1937 to 1946


The Brodhurst Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sapere et tacere
Motto Translation: To be wise and silent.


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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