Contents [hide]

Brodie History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Brodie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The chronicles of the Brodie family reach back into Scottish history to an ancient tribe known as the Picts. The ancestors of the Brodie family lived in the lands of Brodie, in the barony of Moray where the family at one time held territories. King Alexander III had granted their lands. Checking further we found the name was derived from the Gaelic word broth which means ditch.

Early Origins of the Brodie family

The surname Brodie was first found in Moray, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Brodie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brodie research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1311, 1386, 1466, 1550, 1617, 1645 and 1680 are included under the topic Early Brodie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brodie Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Brodie has been written Brodie, Brody, Brodey, Brodye, Broadie, Broffee, Broffy, Brophie, Brophey, Brothie, Brophy, Brodley, Brothy and many more.

Early Notables of the Brodie family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Alexander Brodie (1617-1680), of Brodie, Lord of Session, descended from an old family, which in 1311 received the lands of Brodie in Elginshire from Alexander III1...

Brodie Ranking

In the United States, the name Brodie is the 5,456^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in New Zealand, the name Brodie is ranked the 878^th most popular surname with an estimated 833 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Brodie family to Ireland

Some of the Brodie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brodie migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Brodie:

Brodie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Brodie with wife and six children arrived in New York in 1775
Robert Brodie, who arrived in New York in 1775 4
John Brodie, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1799 4

Brodie Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Brodie who arrived in Philadelphia in 1811
Edward Brodie, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1813
William Brodie, who arrived in New York in 1819 4
James Brodie, who landed in New York in 1821 4
John, Brodie Jr., who landed in New York, NY in 1831 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brodie migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Brodie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Neil Brodie, Scottish convict from Aberdeen, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 5
Miss Esabella Brodie, (Summers), Scottish convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl of Liverpool" in December 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Alexander Brodie, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Superb" in 1839 7
Georgianna Brodie, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Superb" in 1839 7
Louisa Brodie, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Superb" in 1839 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brodie migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Brodie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

H Brodie, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1840
James Brodie, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Walter Brodie, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
W Brodie, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. Brodie, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Bee" arriving in Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand in 1840 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brodie (post 1700) +

H. Keith H. Brodie (1939-2016), American psychiatrist, educator, and President Emeritus of Duke University
Walter Scott "Steve" Brodie (1868-1935), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1890 through 1902
Steve Brodie (1861-1901), American daredevil from New York City who claimed to have jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge and survived on July 23, 1886, eponym of the terms "taking a Brodie" and "Brodie"
Steve Brodie (1919-1992), born John Stevenson, an American stage, film, and television actor, he took his screen name from Steve Brodie, the daredevil
John Riley Brodie (b. 1935), American former NFL football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and Senior PGA Tour professional golfer
Fawn McKay Brodie (1915-1981), American biographer and professor of history at UCLA
Irene H. Brodie, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1996 9
H. H. Brodie, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Hawaii Territory, 1904 9
Edward Everett Brodie (1876-1939), American Republican politician, Chair of Clackamas County Republican Party, 1916-21; U.S. Minister to Siam, 1921-25; Finland, 1930-33 9
David C. Brodie, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 1948 9
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Brodie family +

Halifax Explosion

Mrs. Elizabeth Brodie (1846-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 10
Mrs. Margaret Lavinia Brodie (1864-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 10
Miss Hilda May Brodie (1913-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 10
Mrs. Hilda P. Brodie (1896-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 10

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Raymond Roy Brodie (1916-1941), Australian Acting Leading Seaman from New Town, Tasmania, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 11

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Pugh F Brodie, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 12
Mr. John Brodie, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 12

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-of-liverpool
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SUPERB 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Superb.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html