Broy last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Broy is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Broy.

Meaning of Broy

From a location called Broy in France.

Broy, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Broy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Broy in America

Broy is the 47966th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Broy surname appeared 441 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Broy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Broy to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

20102000Change (%)
Rank47966458294.56%
Count4414390.45%
Proportion per 100k0.150.16-6.45%

The history of the last name Broy

The surname BROY is of French origin, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the Normandy region of France and is likely derived from the Old French word "broi," meaning a small wood or thicket.

The earliest recorded instances of the name BROY can be found in various historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable reference is found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Montivilliers, a medieval cartulary from the Abbey of Montivilliers in Normandy, which mentions a certain "Ricardus de Broi" in the year 1195.

In the 13th century, the name BROY appeared in the Testa de Nevill, a survey of landholdings in England conducted between 1208 and 1242. This document recorded a "Robertus de Broy" as holding lands in Lincolnshire.

The Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey of landholders in England, also contained references to individuals with the surname BROY, further solidifying its presence in the region during that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name BROY was Jacques de Broy, a French nobleman who lived in the late 13th century and served as a knight in the court of King Philip IV of France.

Another notable figure was Hugues de Broy, a French military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English during the 14th century.

In the 15th century, a branch of the BROY family settled in the Duchy of Burgundy, where they acquired significant lands and influence. One prominent member of this lineage was Jean de Broy, a renowned statesman and diplomat who served as the Chancellor of Burgundy under Charles the Bold.

During the 16th century, the name BROY appeared in various records in the Netherlands, suggesting that members of the family had migrated or established connections in that region. One example is Jacob Broy, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in Amsterdam in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the BROY surname was also found in Scotland, where a family of that name held lands in the region of Aberdeenshire. One notable member was Alexander Broy, a Scottish nobleman who served as a member of parliament in the 1670s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Broy

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Broy.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Broy was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only81.41%359
Non-Hispanic Black Only13.15%58
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races1.81%8
Hispanic Origin2.95%13

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Broy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White81.41%85.65%-5.08%
Black13.15%10.25%24.79%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%0.00%(S)%
Two or More Races1.81%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic2.95%3.19%-7.82%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Broy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Broy, please contact us.

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