Brathwaite
A Westmorland and Yorkshire surname from a place-name meaning “broad clearing.”
The #9,486 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 90,040 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Brathwaite is a locational surname from one of several northern English places called Braithwaite, Braithwait, or similar. The place-name is generally explained as from Old Norse elements meaning “broad” plus “thwaite,” a clearing or meadow in woodland. In other words, it originally meant something like “the broad clearing.”
History
The name is strongly associated with northern England, especially Cumberland, Westmorland, Yorkshire, and Lancashire. Historical references link it to families in Kendal and nearby places, and the spelling varies widely across early records. The surname was also carried by the poet Richard Brathwaite (born 1588).
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old writers especially noted that the -thwaite names cluster on high ground in the Lake District and nearby counties.
From the historical record
“Braithwaite, Braithwait, Brathwait, Brathwaite, Breathwaite.— Local, 'ofBraith- waite.' (i) A hamlet in township of Dacre, near Pateley Bridge, co. York; (3) a hamlet in parish of”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)