Brochu History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

Early Origins of the Brochu family

The surname Brochu 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 Brochu family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brochu 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 Brochu History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brochu 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 Brochu 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 Brochu Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brochu World Ranking

In the United States, the name Brochu is the 8,855^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Brochu is ranked the 708^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,505 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Brochu is the 263^rd popular surname. 4

Brochu migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brochu Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Jean Brochu, married in 1669 in Ste. Famille
Jean Brochu, son of Louis and Renée, who married Nicole Saulnier, daughter of Pierre and Jeanne, in Sainte-Famille, Quebec on 28th October 1669 5
Jean Brochu, son of Jean and Nicole, who married Marie-Françoise Delaunay, daughter of Henry and Françoise, in Quebec on 29th October 1697 5

Brochu Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jean Brochu, son of Jean and Marie, who married Dorothée Allaire, daughter of Charles and Marie, in Quebec on 25th February 1725 5
Mathurin Brochu, son of Jean and Marie-Françoise, who married Madeleine Maillou, daughter of Noel and Louise, in Beauport, Quebec on 25th February 1732 5
Pierre Brochu, son of Jean and Dorothée, who married Geneviève Roy, daughter of Etienne and Marie, in Saint-Valier, Quebec on 30th July 1753 5
Jean Brochu, son of Jean and Dorothée, who married Agathe Roy, daughter of Joseph and Agathe, in Saint-Vallier, Quebec on 10th April 1756 5
Alexis-Louis Brochu, son of Jean and Dorothée, who married Marie-Marguerite Roy, daughter of Joseph and Agathe, in Saint-Vallier, Quebec on 5th February 1759 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Brochu (post 1700) +

T. Edward Brochu, American Republican politician, Mayor of Middletown, New York, 1944 6
Claude Brochu (b. 1944), Quebec businessman, president of the Montreal Expos baseball club (1986-)
Christopher Brochu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Iowa
Martin Brochu (b. 1973), Canadian professional (NHL) ice hockey goaltender
Robert A Brochu, Canadian executive, Vice-President of William M. Mercer companies Inc

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html