Brockway
An English surname probably built from a place-name element meaning “badger” plus a road or way, though the exact origin is not fully certain.
The #6,947 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 63,949 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Brockway is generally treated as an English locational surname. The first element is likely Old English or Middle English broc, meaning “badger,” a word often used in English place-names. The second element is likely way, referring to a road or path, so the name may originally have meant “badger way” or a route associated with a place called Brockway. Older writers sometimes connected similar names with other meanings of brock, but that interpretation is not secure.
History
The surname appears in English surname collections alongside other Brock- names such as Brockhurst and Brocklehurst, suggesting a long-standing English place-name family. It later became established as a hereditary surname and was carried to North America with English migration. Modern bearers are found chiefly in the English-speaking world, especially the United States.
Origin
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Fun fact
Brockway is one of several English surnames that start with Brock-, a cluster that often reflects old place-names rather than a single family line.
From the historical record
“sources come the local surnames Brock- bank, Brocksopp, Brockwell, Brockhurst, Brocklehurst, Brockway, &c. BROCKETT. According to Harrison's Descr. of Engl. p. 22G, a hrocM is a stag in his second year, but other authorities apply”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom