BROCKETT
Brockett is an English surname with a documented history extending back to the twelfth century. The name is thought to be a diminutive form derived from the Old English word broc, meaning badger. The suffix -ett indicates a small or diminutive form, so the original nickname likely described a person who was stocky or tenacious in a way reminiscent of a badger.
In the same period the name also appears engaged in a distinct linguistic pathway. It can be linked to the Old French broque or brocke, from which the Middle English broket or brocket was formed; the latter term meant a young stag. Thus the nickname could have also denoted a lively or enthusiastic individual. Early documentary evidence records a man named Ralph Broc in the 1119 chartulary of the Abbey of Colchester, and a John Brocker appears in the 1297 Early Records of Cornwall.
The first certain spelling of the family name is that of Henry Brocket dated 1279 in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, made during the reign of Edward I. A later witness from Brixworth, Hugh de Brixhulle, appears in a charter dated 1172 and may point to a place-based derivation from the Old English brycce, meaning a small hill or outcrop. The village of Brixworth, in Northamptonshire, has thus been cited as a possible source of the surname as well.
In the sixteenth century the Brockett name was documented in several respectable families in Buckinghamshire and Norfolk. On 26 June 1552, John Brockett and Margaret Porter were married at St. Margaret’s, Westminster, London, marking an early clerical record of the name.
John Trotter Brockett (1788–1842) was a noted antiquary who collected books, coins and medals and was the founder of the Newcastle Topographical Society. In the early fifteenth century a coat of arms was granted to the Brockett family of Hertfordshire in the reign of Henry V. The escutcheon is described as a gold shield with a black cross flory.
Statistical surveys show that the surname appears in Britain with a frequency of 227 per million people in 2018, ranking it the six‑hundred‑ninth most common surname. Its concentration is greatest in the West Midlands, particularly in Birmingham, Dudley, Coventry and Stoke‑on‑Trent. The name is also recorded in Scotland, though only in small numbers. In 2019 the United States Census Bureau recorded 2,176 individuals with the surname, the greatest concentration being in Texas (389 people), followed by New York, California and Massachusetts.
Today the name can be found in several countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark. Variants and spelling differences that share the same etymological origin include Brocket, Brockit, Brackett, Broket, Brokete, Broketts, Brokett, Bracket, Brocceti, Brocketor and Brooket. Differences in spelling often arose from regional dialects or transcription errors, for example the Lancashire form Bracket or the Channel Island form Brocceti.
Throughout its history the Brockett name has come to be associated with traits such as strength, independence and ambition, as demonstrated by contemporary figures who bear the surname, including American former MLB pitcher Bob Brockett and New Zealand national rugby sevens coach Clark Brocket.
Typical given names associated with the Brockett surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- Gary
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Anne
- Christine
- Claire
- Clare
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jean
- Karen
- Kirstie
- Linda
- Mary
- Sarah
- Teresa
Similar and related surnames
- Brickett
- Brackett
- Bracket
- Breckett
- Brocket
- Barakat
- Baraket
- Barekat
- Bareket
- Bargate
- Barghout
- Barghouti
- Barghuti
- Bargot
- Bargota
- Barkat
- Barket
- Barkett
- Baruecat
- Bercot
- Bercott
- Bereket
- Bergadaa
- Bergado
- Berghout
- Bergot
- Berkati
- Berket
- Berkett
- Berkieta
- Berkit
- Berkitt
- Berkut
- Birckett
- Birket
- Birkett
- Birkit
- Birkitt
- Borgato
- Borgatti
- Borghetti
- Borghetto
- Borket
- Borkett
- Bourgade
- Bourguet
- Bourkadi
- Bragado
- Bragato
- Braggett
- Braggiotti
- Brekett
- Bricket
- Bricout
- Brigati
- Brigato
- Brigatti
- Brigde
- Brigode
- Brikett
- Brochett
- Brocke
- Brockel
- Brockell
- Brocker
- Brockert
- Brockes
- Brockles
- Broquet
- Brozzetti
- Brucato
- Burckett
- Burckitt
- Burcott
- Burgaud
- Burghett
- Burguete
- Burkat
- Burket
- Burkett
- Burkette
- Burkiet
- Burkit
- Burkitt
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Brockett in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 659 people named Brockett in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around ten in a million people in Britain are named Brockett.
Surname type: Diminutive
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Brockett
- John Brockett - Co-founder of New Haven Colony (1611 to 1690)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.