Brockman

The Brockman surname is not common, but has spread to several countries around the world. The name can be a topism combining "wet/water" and "man". However, in Old English and in heraldry a "brock" is also a badger, and some have claimed it to mean "broker". Thus, there may be multiple meanings of the name. The name originated within populations speaking Germanic languages amongst the Germanic tribes that settled in what is now England, the Netherlands, Germany, and elsewhere. The name appears to be particularly well-documented in England and the anglosphere, due to a fascination with a royalist knight who was defeated by the forces of Cromwell. It is unlikely that people carrying the surname in England, Germany, Holland, or elsewhere share a common ancestor in a genealogical sense, though they may have similar ancient origins. As described below, the name is diverse with regard to origins.