This interesting surname is of Scottish locational origin from Brodie Castle in Moray on the coast between Nairn and Forres. The placename probably derives from the Gaelic "brothach" meaning muddy place rather that "bruthach" steep place. The senior branch of the Scots Brodie family are still established at Brodie Castle. Early family records were destroyed by fire in 1645; according to tradition, they are descended from Malcolm, Thane of Brodie (flourished 1285). The surname is first recorded in the early 14th Century (see below). Thomas de Brothy was juror at a court held at "Le Ballocis Hill" near Inverness (1376-1377). John de Brothy appears in 1380 as witness in a matter between the bishop of Moray and Alexander Stewart, Lord of Badenoch. In the modern idiom the surname has many variant spellings including Broddie, Brody, Broody, etc.. Margaret Brodie and Alexander McNeil were married on June 30th 1601 at Edinburgh Parish Church, Midlothian, and the marriage of Margaret Brodie and Culbert Brand took place on February 17th 1619, at South Leith, Midlothian. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Michael de Brothie, was granted a charter of the lands of Brodie, which was dated 1311, during the reign of King Robert 1 of Scotland, 1306 - 1329. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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