Broadnax
A surname of English origin, likely a nickname or descriptive name built from words meaning “broad” and a place-name-like ending.
The #6,766 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 61,960 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Broadnax is generally understood as an English surname, though its exact formation is not fully certain. It may be a reduced or altered form of an older place-name or nickname built from Old English elements for “broad” combined with a second element now obscure in surname use. Because the name is uncommon and spelling has shifted over time, the precise original meaning cannot be stated with confidence.
History
The surname is best known in the United States, where it appears among African American families as well as in broader Anglo-American usage. Like many uncommon English surnames, its spelling may have stabilized only after migration and record-keeping in North America. Earlier documentary forms are not well established in modern reference works, so its detailed history remains somewhat obscure.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Broadnax is one of those surnames whose modern spelling looks distinctive, but its earliest form may have been quite different.