The name first belonged to a channel in Jamaica Bay, not to the island.
'Broad Channel' originally referred to a channel in Jamaica Bay, the bay in which the island lies. The neighbourhood stands on Big Egg Marsh, an area of fill at the south end of Rulers Bar Hassock; a hassock is a firmer clump of grass in marshy ground. Dutch settlers harvested oysters, clams and fish here in the 17th century.