Map of England showing where the Broadbent arms are recorded
The Broadbent arms were recorded in Lancashire, c. 1620.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Broadbent arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Lancashire.
Origin & History of the Broadbent Family in England
The surname Broadbent is a classic example of a locative name, which means it was originally derived from a specific place where the family lived. In Old English, the name combines the words "broad" and "bent," with the latter referring to a stretch of open land or a grassy slope often covered in coarse, bent-grass. By the early 17th century, the family was well-established in the county of Lancashire. During this period, the region was characterized by small farming communities and the early growth of the textile industry. Families like the Broadbents were typically rooted in these rural landscapes, where they worked the land or engaged in local trade. Because the name describes a physical feature of the countryside, it suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely farmers or tenants who identified themselves by the specific meadow or hillside they occupied.
Broadbent Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
brad + beonet
Old English for broad or wide and bent grass or reeds.
This name
BroadbentRefers to a person who lived near a wide expanse of open, grassy land.
also spelled
Brodbent
Related arms
Brodbentvariant spelling
Allcardrecorded with Broadbent, same area
Borronrecorded with Broadbent, same area
Johnsonrecorded with Broadbent, same area
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Ekwall, Eilert, The Place-Names of Lancashire, 1922
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
