Show ContentsBrogdon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Brogdon family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the township of Brogden, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The place-name appears originally as Brokden, which means valley of the brook. The surname, then, meant dweller in the valley of the brook. 1

Early Origins of the Brogdon family

The surname Brogdon was first found in Yorkshire, where Dionisius Brokden was listed as a Freeman of York in 1470. Later, William a Borkeden was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1525 and John Brogden was another Freeman of York in 1597. 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include Cristiana de Boroghden as holding lands there at that time. Much later, the Corpus Christi Guild (Surtees Society) included an entry for William Brockden, Yorkshire. 3

Early History of the Brogdon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brogdon research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1470, 1525, 1579, 1597, 1680, 1687, 1689, 1741 and 1769 are included under the topic Early Brogdon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brogdon Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Brogdon include Brogden, Boroghden, Brokden, Brokeden, Brogdon, Brockden and many more.

Early Notables of the Brogdon family

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

Brogdon Ranking

In the United States, the name Brogdon is the 7,353rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4


United States Brogdon migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Brogdon or a variant listed above:

Brogdon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Richard Brogdon, who landed in America in 1732 5
Brogdon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • C. F. Brogdon, aged 29, who landed in America, in 1895
Brogdon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Rufus H. Brogdon, who landed in America, in 1908
  • Nellie Brogdon, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1910
  • Vivian Brogdon, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States, in 1922
  • Helen V. C. Brogdon, aged 43, who settled in Fresno, California, in 1923
  • James A. Brogdon, aged 48, who immigrated to Fresno, California, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Brogdon (post 1700) +

  • R. E. Brogdon, American politician, Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1940
  • Malcolm Moses Adams Brogdon (b. 1992), American basketball player
  • Randall C. "Randy" Brogdon (b. 1953), American businessman and Republican Party politician, Member of the Oklahoma Senate (2003-2011)
  • Cindy Brogdon (1957-1976), American silver medalist basketball player at the 1976 Summer Olympics
  • Billie Brogdon (b. 1962), American professional baseball player
  • Byron Brogdon, American physician, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Radiology at the University of New Mexico, School of Medicine
  • J H Brogdon, American soldier, 1st Corporal in the US Civil War
  • Randy Brogdon, American Republican politician, Member of Oklahoma State Senate 34th District; Elected 2002 6
  • R. E. Brogdon, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 1940 6
  • Alastair Brogdon (b. 1987), British gold, silver and bronze medalist field hockey player


The Brogdon 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: Constans et fidelis
Motto Translation: Steady and faithful.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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