Show ContentsBrogden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Brogden is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived 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 Brogden family

The surname Brogden 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 Brogden family

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

Brogden Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Brogden has been spelled many different ways, including Brogden, Boroghden, Brokden, Brokeden, Brogdon, Brockden and many more.

Early Notables of the Brogden family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Richard Brogden, an alderman of Norwich in the 1680s

Brogden Ranking

In the United States, the name Brogden is the 16,237th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [4]


United States Brogden migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Brogdens to arrive in North America:

Brogden Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Brogden, who landed in Virginia in 1622 [5]
  • John Brogden, who sailed to Virginia in 1623
  • Richard Brogden, who arrived in Maryland in 1669 [5]
Brogden Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Brogden, who arrived in Virginia in 1735 [5]
Brogden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert Brogden, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1877 [5]

New Zealand Brogden 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:

Brogden Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Brogden, aged 28, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
  • Sarah Brogden, aged 25, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
  • Mr. Joseph Brogden, (b. 1814), aged 28, British agricultural labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" arriving in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1842 [6]
  • Mrs. Sarah Brogden, (b. 1817), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" arriving in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1842 [6]
  • William Brogden, aged 38, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballochmyle" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brogden (post 1700) +

  • Leon Brogden (1910-2000), American high school football, basketball and baseball coach, inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1970
  • Curtis Hooks Brogden (1816-1901), American politician, 42nd Governor of North Carolina (1874-1877), 2nd Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina (1873-1874)
  • Willis James Brogden (1877-1935), American politician, Mayor of Durham, North Carolina, 1911-15; Justice of North Carolina State Supreme Court, 1926-35 [7]
  • Stanley "Stan" Brogden (1910-1981), English rugby union and professional sprinter and rugby league footballer who played from 1927 to 1945
  • Henry Brogden (1828-1913), English Fellow of the Geological Society and a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, third son of John Brogden
  • Alexander Brogden (1825-1892), English industrialist, first chairman of the Solway Junction Railway, the second eldest son of John Brogden
  • John Brogden (1798-1869), English industrialist, building and railway contractor, railway promoter, a miner of coal and iron and an iron smelter
  • James Brogden (1832-1907), British businessman, partner in John Brogden and Sons, youngest son of John Brogden
  • John Gilbert Brogden AM (b. 1969), Australian politician, member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (1996-2005)
  • John Brogden Junior (1832-1855), English Fellow of the Geological Society and a Member of the British Association, the eldest son of John Brogden


The Brogden 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. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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