Broomfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Broomfield date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Broomfield family lived near an area of open land covered with broom, which is a type of shrub which usually has small yellow flowers. The surname Broomfield may also be derived from residence in one of the places called Broomfield in the counties of Kent, Essex, or Somerset, or in one of the settlements called Bromfield in Cumberland (Cumbria) or at Broomfield in Shropshire.

Early Origins of the Broomfield family

The surname Broomfield was first found in Cumberland where their ancient manor and estates were at Hames Hall. They became one of the distinguished families of Cumberland. They also became responsible for the defense of the East March of the English Scottish border along with the Greys and the Dunnes. The place name was first spelt Brounefled (c. 1125) and was derived from the Old English words brom + fled. 1

One of the earliest records of the name was Edmund de Bromfield (Edmund Bromfeld or Bramfield) (died 1393), an English Benedictine monk of Bury St. Edmunds who became bishop of Llandaff. 2

Early History of the Broomfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Broomfield research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1550, 1604, 1610, 1621, 1622, 1624, 1631, 1636, 1647, 1650, 1666, 1672, 1683, 1689, 1704 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Broomfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Broomfield Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Broomfield are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Broomfield include: Broomfield, Broomfeild, Bromfield, Broomfelde and many more.

Early Notables of the Broomfield family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Matthew Broomfield (fl. 1550), a Welsh poet whose poems are preserved in manuscript in the collections of the Cymmrodorion Society and of the Welsh School, both in the British Museum
Matthew Broomfield (fl. 1550), Welsh poet whose poems are preserved in manuscript in the British Museum

Broomfield Ranking

In the United States, the name Broomfield is the 9,731^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Broomfield migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Broomfield or a variant listed above:

Broomfield Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Broomfield who settled in Virginia in 1774
John Broomfield, who arrived in America in 1782 4

Broomfield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Broomfield, aged 28, who landed in Missouri in 1842 4

Broomfield migration to Australia +

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

Broomfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Broomfield, English convict who was convicted in Coventry, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Thomas Broomfield, English convict who was convicted in Herefordshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Broomfield (post 1700) +

William S. Broomfield (1922-2019), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Oakland County 4th District, 1949-54; Member of Michigan State Senate 12th District, 1955-56 6
Robert C. Broomfield (b. 1933), United States District Court for the District of Arizona judge
Robert Cameron Broomfield (b. 1933), American politician, U.S. District Judge for Arizona, 1985-99 6
Charles S. Broomfield, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Missouri 6th District, 2004 6
Charles S. Broomfield, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Clay County 1st District; Elected 1964 6
Archibald Broomfield (b. 1875), American politician, Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention 25th District, 1907-08 6
Fred J Broomfield (1860-1941), English-born, Australian writer
Herbert C. Broomfield (b. 1878), English footballer
Maurice W Broomfield (1916-2010), English photographer
Nicholas "Nick" Broomfield (b. 1948), English documentary film-maker

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html