Show ContentsBroche History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Broche family

The surname Broche was first found in Anjou, a former county, duchy and province centered on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France.

Early records of this house show that it held a considerable rank in feudal times. Guérin Broc, a Lord, made a donation to the Abbey of Vendome in 1059. Henry de Broc, a knight, was recorded in a document of the French court in 1185. The name and the coat of arms of the house of Broc are in the crusade rooms in Versailles. This line produced many important people, such as many general officers, military governors, and gentlemen of the chambers of Henry II, Charles IX, Henry IV, Louis XIV.

Important among the nobility of this lineage was Jean de Broc, a lieutenant-general of the French artillery in 1482. In 1565 Charles IX accompanied by Catherine de Medici travelled to Anjou and stayed at the Ville-du-Foureir of which Jean de Broc was Lord. The name Brochard was also noted at this time, in Bretagne with Phillippe Brochard, a cavalier in 1371.

Jean Brochu, born in 1641, son of Louis and Renée (née Gaschet), travelled from France to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in Canada he married Nicole Saulnier, born in 1651, daughter of Pierre and Jeanne (née Chavillard), at Sainte-Famille-de-l'île-d'Orléans on 28th October 1669. They remained together in Quebec until Jean's death at Sainte-Jean-de-l'île-d'Orléans on 28th February 1705. Nicole passed away on 3rd November 1714. 1

Early History of the Broche family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Broche research. Another 27 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1550, 1684, 1750, 1808, 1811, 1829, 1854 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Broche History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broche Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Broc, Broche, Brocq, Broque, Brocque, Brocher, Brochier, Broquier, Brocquier, Brochec, Brochiré, Brocheau, Brochiou, Broquereau, Brocherie, Broquerie, Brochet, Broquet, Brocquet, Brochon, Brochard, Brochot, Brochu and many more.

Early Notables of the Broche family

Notable amongst the name was Lazare Brochot, born in Autun in 1550, who was one of the most famous theologians of his time. Theodore Brocq was a Benedictine monk born in Chalons in 1684 and wrote a manuscript of 1200 pages which is housed today in the library of Metz. The house of Brochon was known for its many lawyers and judges...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Broche Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broche Ranking

In France, the name Broche is the 7,555th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2


United States Broche migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Broche Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Broche, who landed in Virginia in 1637 3
Broche Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Rudolph Broche, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Broche (post 1700) +

  • Arthur T. Broche (b. 1892), American Republican politician, Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; Elected Illinois State House of Representatives 1st District 1940 4


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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