This rare and intriguing name is of medieval English Origin and is a dialectal variant of the locational name "Brookhurst", from places so called in Warwickshire Hampshire and Sussex. The place name in Warwickshire is first recorded as "Brochurst" in the Curia Rolls of that County in 1200, and the name development after the 1st recording (below) is illustrated by the following example, William de Brokhurst (1296 Subsidy Rolls of Sussex). The derivation is from the Old English pre 7th Century "brocc - hyrst", meaning a badger hill or wood, probably a place inhabited by badgers. Amongst the sample recordings in London are, Henry Brockist, who was christened on 20th September 1701, at St. Andrew's, Holborn, and Jane Brockest, who was christened at the Foundling Hospital, St. Pancras on 12 October 1756. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard de Brocherst. which was dated 1201 "Pleas before the King this justices" (1198 - 1202) during the reign of 1199 - 1216 John - Known as Lackland 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.