The Origins of the family name Bromley

The name Bromley is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon  tribes of Britain.
It is a product of when the family lived in Bromley Abbots or Bromley Bagots in Staffordshire. Bromley itself is derived from the Old English word bromleigh which means clearing where brambles are found.
The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Bromley has been spelled many different ways, including Bromley, Bromiley, Bromily, Bromly, Bromely, Bromly, Bromleigh and many more.
First found in Staffordshire where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to those in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Bromleys to arrive in North America:
Daniel Bromely settled in Virginia in 1635;
John Bromiley arrived in Philadelphia in 1834;
William Bromily arrived in Philadelphia in 1855;
Alexander Bromley settled in Virginia in 1655.
Motto ‘Non inferior secutus’, Translated: ‘Not following meaner things’