Brook Surname

17,988th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 30,699 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
England
Highest density in:
Falkland Islands

Brook Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the brook,' one who lived by the brook-side. Common to all parts of England, and is especially one of the great local surnames of Yorkshire. The s is customary in these short spot names; compare Briggs, Styles.

Read More About This Surname

Brook Surname Distribution Map

By incidenceBy frequencyBy rank
Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ARank (high to low)Rank (low to high)
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England12,6341:4,410600
United States7,0101:51,7066,232
Australia4,9451:5,459790
Canada1,4401:25,5873,441
Israel1,3231:6,468979
New Zealand8011:5,653930
South Africa3791:142,94916,392
Wales2731:11,3351,260
Scotland2271:23,5852,631
Cuba1921:60,0142,309
Bahamas1271:3,085395
Fiji1261:7,0981,425
Germany921:875,05962,702
Northern Ireland911:20,2752,435
Spain731:640,43929,091
France691:962,648108,938
Netherlands601:281,45334,544
Thailand601:1,177,306172,517
China551:24,860,3921,354
Portugal471:221,6658,706
Argentina461:929,20559,251
India441:17,433,304271,013
Ethiopia431:2,268,5188,932
Singapore431:128,0865,748
Liberia401:110,2138,601
Sweden351:281,33619,530
Switzerland341:241,55620,206
Dominican Republic311:336,54611,471
Guernsey291:2,222539
Brazil241:8,919,764194,226
Ireland191:247,8399,475
Malaysia181:1,638,56867,452
Mexico161:7,757,88835,569
Jersey141:7,0861,520
Hong Kong131:564,2683,428
Jamaica131:220,7656,223
Nigeria121:14,761,896248,185
Kenya111:4,198,17341,178
Norway111:467,48139,375
Philippines111:9,203,475207,772
Taiwan101:2,344,47514,894
Qatar91:262,00030,726
Trinidad and Tobago81:170,4978,814
Belgium71:1,642,37898,400
Nicaragua61:1,003,5154,885
Denmark51:1,128,94352,970
Ghana51:5,404,13815,377
Italy51:12,231,338126,430
Turkey51:15,564,284149,633
Algeria41:9,657,88864,782
Botswana41:546,73222,624
Falkland Islands41:783169
Iraq41:8,755,41423,373
South Korea41:12,810,0642,073
Tunisia41:152,65617,743
Cameroon31:6,923,023143,724
Costa Rica31:1,593,3568,177
Egypt31:30,645,251132,600
Japan31:42,614,76459,022
Russia31:48,041,019639,186
Tanzania31:17,647,204107,932
Uganda31:13,013,093160,157
Venezuela31:10,068,02660,591
Barbados21:143,7241,981
Cambodia21:7,743,57311,959
Cyprus21:442,4389,493
Ecuador21:7,952,92334,269
El Salvador21:3,171,9446,376
Greece21:5,539,895129,142
Honduras21:4,408,2217,709
Iceland21:190,0456,825
Isle of Man21:42,9113,686
Pakistan21:89,321,942157,560
United Arab Emirates21:4,581,13693,443
Uruguay21:1,715,87935,955
Afghanistan11:32,153,18360,828
Albania11:2,914,05529,474
Angola11:26,989,21411,853
Antigua and Barbuda11:99,1712,137
Austria11:8,515,435118,036
Azerbaijan11:9,649,12247,873
Bahrain11:1,348,60810,432
Bangladesh11:159,356,77326,077
Bermuda11:65,2793,010
Bosnia and Herzegovina11:3,536,40219,532
Central African Republic11:4,515,3901,196
Chile11:17,616,47493,597
Colombia11:47,774,07244,230
Czechia11:10,633,469206,023
Djibouti11:914,9321,612
DR Congo11:73,879,570260,543
Estonia11:1,321,80440,178
Finland11:5,496,70284,025
Gibraltar11:33,9541,660
Guam11:160,1214,893
Guyana11:762,22114,420
Hungary11:9,816,27773,288
Ivory Coast11:23,071,23276,679
Lebanon11:5,637,08332,436
Luxembourg11:580,54215,155
Maldives11:404,1727,269
Mauritania11:4,094,86338,869
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Peru11:31,784,12364,452
Puerto Rico11:3,550,1399,109
Romania11:20,077,87089,414
Saudi Arabia11:30,855,81763,028
Senegal11:14,579,34211,705
Somalia11:13,452,0619,224
United States Virgin Islands11:110,3756,934
Vietnam11:92,646,0548,382
Show All Nations
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland251:177,1958,871
Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ARank (high to low)Rank (low to high)
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England11,3911:2,140307
Scotland1681:22,2812,124
Wales761:20,6371,193
Guernsey71:4,665827
Isle of Man11:54,2692,077
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States3,3151:15,1491,947

Brook (24,873) may also be a first name.

Brook Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the brook,' one who lived by the brook-side. Common to all parts of England, and is especially one of the great local surnames of Yorkshire. The s is customary in these short spot names; compare Briggs, Styles. Possibly it is the patronymic s, as in Jones, Williams, &c.; of this I cannot be sure.

Edelina del Brok. Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Robertus del Brok', ibid.

Alice de la Broke, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Laurence del Broc, ibid.

William atte Brouke, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Richard atte-Brook, vicar of Horseford, Norfolk, 1419: History of Norfolk.

1604. Baptised — Edward, s. Hugh Brooke: St. James, Clerkenwell.

1616. John Thornell and Martha Brookes: Marriage Lic. (London).

— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

The first form recorded in Aberdeen. Thomas Bruke was admitted burgess there in 1483 (NSCM., I, p. 30). Local from residence by a brook.

— The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

Practically the same meaning as Brook which see. For -s see under 'Some Letter Changes.' Probably of recent introduction from England.

— The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(English) Dweller at a Streamlet [Middle English broc, brok, broke, Old English bróc, a brook] Ada atte Brok.—Cal. Inq. P.M.

Alice de la Broke.—Hundred Rolls

— Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(English) Dweller near the spring or brook, sometimes marsh.

— Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

From residence near a stream. Its medieval forms are Ate-Broc, Atte-Broc, Attenbroke, &c., afterwards softened to A-Broke, and pluralised to Brooks and Brookes. Brooker and Brookman are simple variations of the same name.

— Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

A small river.

— The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames (1862) by Clifford Stanley Sims (1839-1896)

Local. Brooks, Becks, and Rundels are names for small rivers.

— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

Brook: originally a morass, then a stream, a very common name. It occurs over and over again in the Hundred Rolls, as Alice de la Broke, Andrew ate Broke, Peter ad le Broke, Matilda ad Broke, Sarra de Broke, Reginald behind Broke, Richard apud Broke, Reginald del Broke (Bardsley). It would be absurd to suppose that all these Brooks belonged to one family. It was purely a designation of place where some humble individuals dwelt who had no surname as yet. Often we have Brooks.

— Family Names And Their Story (1913) by Sabine Baring-Gould

Brook,Brooks. —Brooks, or Brookes, is the most numerous of the two names; but the fact that Brook, or Brooke, is frequently found in those counties where Brooks, or Brookes, is absent or uncommon, renders it necessary to consider the distribution of the two names together. They are well distributed over England, except in the counties north of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Their principal centres are in the West Riding and in Somerset.

— Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy
DNA test information
Display Statistics on:

Brook Demographics

Brook Religious Adherence
in Russia

Sample size: 12 (2016)

Religious Adherence
in Russia

View the most religious surnames in Russia

Brook Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Brook Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name Brook is found most frequently in England. It may also occur as:. Click here for other possible spellings of this last name.

How Common Is The Last Name Brook? popularity and diffusion

The last name Brook is the 17,988th most prevalent surname on a worldwide basis, borne by approximately 1 in 237,387 people. It occurs predominantly in Europe, where 45 percent of Brook reside; 43 percent reside in Northern Europe and 43 percent reside in British Isles. It is also the 32,131st most commonly occurring first name internationally It is held by 24,873 people.

This surname is most frequently occurring in England, where it is borne by 12,634 people, or 1 in 4,410. In England Brook is most common in: West Yorkshire, where 33 percent reside, Greater London, where 8 percent reside and South Yorkshire, where 6 percent reside. Not including England this surname is found in 110 countries. It is also common in The United States, where 23 percent reside and Australia, where 16 percent reside.

Brook Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The prevalency of Brook has changed over time. In England the number of people who held the Brook surname grew 111 percent between 1881 and 2014; in The United States it grew 211 percent between 1880 and 2014; in Wales it grew 359 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it grew 135 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it fell 24 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Brook Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those holding the Brook surname is principally Anglican (43%) in Ireland and Orthodox (75%) in Russia.

In The United States those holding the Brook surname are 14.51% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than the national average, with 61.28% registered with the party.

The amount Brook earn in different countries varies markedly. In Italy they earn 9.14% more than the national average, earning €32,774 per year; in Norway they earn 9.47% more than the national average, earning 378,854 kr per year; in South Africa they earn 45.16% more than the national average, earning R 344,964 per year; in United States they earn 4.08% more than the national average, earning $44,909 USD per year and in Canada they earn 0.18% more than the national average, earning $49,773 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ASimilarity (high to low)Similarity (low to high)Prevalent jurisdiction A-ZPrevalent jurisdiction Z-A
SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Brooke9121,966/
Broock91188/
Brookx914/
Hbrook912/
Brookc911/
Brok894,066/
Broocke8345/
Brrooks834/
Broosks834/
Brookke831/
Brookch831/
Brock80108,038/
Broek803,264/
Brouk802,289/
Brokx80287/
Broke80173/
Brokh8066/
Brokk8019/
Brrok807/
Brokt807/
Broox804/
Brotk804/
Brokc801/
Vrook801/
Bruok801/
Broog801/
Broik800/
D'Brooks774/
Brocke732,480/
Brokke73762/
Brouck73639/
Broske73316/
Brockt7362/
Brodke7355/
Broick7337/
Brockx7333/
Brotke7332/
Broksø7322/
Brouke7320/
Brokås7313/
Broksh7312/
Broukx7312/
Broksz7310/
B'Rouk739/
Broocs736/
Brouks736/
Broszk736/
Brooxs735/
Broukh734/
Brroke734/
Broogh732/
Brozck732/
Brokht731/
Broßke731/
Vroock731/
Brrock731/
Brodks731/
Brockc731/
Brockh731/
Broyks730/
Brak6761,504/
Bruk6713,527/
Brox673,038/
Broc671,770/
Broucke671,279/
Brog67624/
Broschk67552/
Broksch6795/
Brotcke6758/
Brodtke6734/
Brokova6715/
B'Rouck6714/
Broková6712/
Brokowa6711/
Brottke674/
Brogová673/
Brocktt671/
Brók671/
Brük671/
Broucks670/
Brochke670/
Show All Similar Surnames

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Brook Reference & Research

Brooks FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

Southern Brooks Families FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

Brooks FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

Southern Brooks Families FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Brook
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis