The Bromley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,576 people carried this name — #6,146 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 52,900 people counted. That is up 2% from 5,465 in 2000.

See Bromley on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Bromley surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bromley» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Bromley’.

An early record he cites: Robert de Bromlegh, Shropshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Bromley and Bromly.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 137 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Bromley was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Shropshire: 20 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 500. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Shropshire 20
Northamptonshire 15
Essex 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Bromley in American newspapers,
1886–1898.

Newspaper page from The Somerset Reporter carrying the name Bromley
The Somerset Reporter 1898-08-04
Newspaper page from St. Landry Democrat carrying the name Bromley
St. Landry Democrat 1886-08-07
Newspaper page from The Grenada Sentinel carrying the name Bromley
The Grenada Sentinel 1886-07-31

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Bromley in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

47,966 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bromley. The most, 7,813, date from the 1920s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 15,215
South Australia 12,074
New South Wales 8,279
Queensland 5,554
Tasmania 3,707
Western Australia 3,006
ACT (Canberra) 42
Northern Territory 28

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bromley.

Who carried it

People named Bromley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas Bromley d. 1555 · judge
  • Helen Bromley d. 2013 · pedagogue
  • Samuel Bromley d. 1845 · naval officer
  • Walter Bromley d. 1838
  • Meriel Bromley d. 1690
  • Dora Katherine Bromley d. 1957

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bromley,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States728 records

728 records of the Bromley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 193
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 168
  • Other U.S. records 367
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Albert Leroy Bromley

    Born 1947; from Chester, Pennsylvania. U.S. Army, light wheel vehicle mechanic; killed in action 1968 in Dinh Tuong, South Vietnam. Buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Owen P. Bromley

    Born 1916 in District of Columbia. Enlisted 1945 at Baltimore, Maryland; printing worker from Washington, D.C. U.S. Army veteran; died 1985, buried at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery, Maryland.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Bromley

    Arrived at New York in 1863 aboard the City of New York from Liverpool, aged 25; jobber. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 728 records for Bromley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia854 records

854 records of the Bromley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 428
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 191
  • Other Australian records 235
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Bromley

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Royal Admiral, sailing from London in 1842. Native of Ipswich, Suffolk. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1845. Married 1845 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Sarah Bromley

    Died 1843 in Hamilton, Tasmania, aged 46. Will registered in Tasmania in 1843.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Edward Saml Foord Bromley

    Born 1823 in Hamilton, Tasmania. Married 1846 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 854 records for Bromley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada47 records

47 records of the Bromley name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 13
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 12
  • Other Canadian records 22
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Bromley

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Corinthian, landing at Portland, bound for Orillia, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Bromley

    Buried in 1990 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 82.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Robert J. Bromley

    Died 1972 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 47 records for Bromley in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom44 records

44 records of the Bromley name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 28
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 15
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Mary Ellen Bromley

    Will proved in 1935; of Rhyl, Flint.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sophia Bromley

    Buried in 1824 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 54.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. T. Bromley

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 44 records for Bromley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand20 records

20 records of the Bromley name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 18
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edwin Bromley

    Died 1962, aged 80; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Phillip Henry Bromley

    Buried in 1964 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 85.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Bromley

    Died 1969, aged 51; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Bromley in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands9 records

9 records of the Bromley name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 8
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ella Bromley

    Died 1968 in Rotterdam, aged 82.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register John Bromley

    In a population register; born 1847 in Stompwijk.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Martha Louisa Bromley

    In a population register; born 1853 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Bromley in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bromley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bromley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Bromley volume
Scroll to Top