Gang, Below is something Joni sent me for comment -- she obtained it in England. It's another take on the origin of the surname "Breedlove". The Historical Research Center FAMILY NAME HISTORY BREEDLOVE The English surname Breedlove is classified as being a habitation name. Habitation names are those family names which are derived from either the location of the place of residence of the initial bearer or from the name of the town or willage from whence he hailed. In some instances, a habitation names refers to a residence which was distinguished by a sign or engraving usually displayed over the door. In this instance, the surname Breedlove originally referred to a person who lived by a large hill. The etymology of this name lies in the combination of the old English terms, "brad" and "hlaw" meaning broad hill. This surname may also be derived from one of the two place names called Brodley, located in Lancashire and Essex. Variants of the surname Breedlove include Broadlove and Broadley. One of the earliest references to this name or to a variant is a record of one Samuel Breedlove, son of James Breedlove and his wife, Ann, who was baptized on the 25th of July, 1731 in Scopwick (Lincoln). However research is of course ongoing and this name may have been documented even earlier than the date indicated above. The modern spelling of most English surnames is comparatively recent and is usually a phonetic rendering of the name which is found in parish registers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. However, it should be noted that the name itself, in its various orthographic forms, may have been borne by the same family for a previous three or four hundred years. Notable bearers of this surname include John Breedlove of the Virginia Line, who fought in the American Revolutionary War. A military record also mentions his brother, Martin Breedlove, who was aged 62 in 1833. BLAZON OF ARMS: Argent, on a chevron gules, a two eagle's heads erased in chief of the last and an anchor in base azure, three bezants all within a bordure of the third. CREST: A stag's head erased proper. MOTTO: Non immemor beneficii/ ORIGIN: England