NameCensus.

UK surname

Brook

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

In the 1881 census there were 11,590 people recorded with the Brook surname, ranking it #367 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,389, ranked #690, down from #367 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Kirkheaton and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brook is 12,716 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.0%.

1881 census count

11,590

Ranked #367

Modern count

9,389

2016, ranked #690

Peak year

1891

12,716 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brook had 11,590 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #367 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,389 in 2016, ranked #690.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,716 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Brook surname distribution map

The map shows where the Brook surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Brook surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brook over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 9,466 #275
1861 historical 11,381 #216
1881 historical 11,590 #367
1891 historical 12,716 #345
1901 historical 11,857 #439
1911 historical 12,559 #390
1997 modern 9,517 #662
1998 modern 9,735 #669
1999 modern 9,816 #668
2000 modern 9,747 #671
2001 modern 9,443 #675
2002 modern 9,481 #693
2003 modern 9,295 #692
2004 modern 9,298 #686
2005 modern 9,199 #685
2006 modern 9,112 #693
2007 modern 9,163 #699
2008 modern 9,199 #697
2009 modern 9,429 #696
2010 modern 9,604 #696
2011 modern 9,508 #695
2012 modern 9,385 #686
2013 modern 9,551 #686
2014 modern 9,603 #684
2015 modern 9,509 #681
2016 modern 9,389 #690

Geography

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Where Brooks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Kirkheaton, Batley, Almondbury and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
2 Kirklees 055 Kirklees
3 Kirklees 041 Kirklees
4 Kirklees 057 Kirklees
5 Kirklees 050 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brook

These lists show first names that appear often with the Brook surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brook

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brook, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Brook surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Brook household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Brook is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Brook is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brook falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brook is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Brook, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brook

The surname Brook originated in England, deriving from the Old English word 'broc', meaning a small stream or brook. It likely emerged as a topographic name, given to individuals residing near such a geographic feature.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Brook can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de Broke'. This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone living by a brook.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Brook, born around 1260 in Derbyshire, England. He served as a knight during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name was also associated with the village of Brook in Rutland, England. This may have contributed to its widespread adoption as a surname in that region.

Sir Thomas Brook (c.1355-1419) was a prominent figure during the Hundred Years' War, serving as a military commander under King Henry V. He was present at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.

During the Tudor period, Sir David Brook (c.1490-1548) was a notable courtier and diplomat, serving under King Henry VIII. He played a role in the events leading up to the English Reformation.

In the 17th century, Robert Brook (1602-1669) was a celebrated Puritan minister and author, known for his work 'The Lives of the Puritans'.

The Brook family also had a strong presence in colonial America, with Thomas Brook (1608-1667) being one of the founders of the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Throughout history, the surname Brook has been spelled in various ways, including Broke, Brooke, and Brookes, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brook families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brook surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 7,705 Brooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.90x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 7,705 6.90x
Middlesex 629 0.56x
Lancashire 531 0.40x
Devon 420 1.79x
Sussex 318 1.67x
Kent 268 0.70x
Surrey 262 0.48x
Suffolk 143 1.04x
Somerset 133 0.73x
Essex 95 0.43x
Warwickshire 81 0.29x
Hampshire 80 0.35x
Staffordshire 77 0.20x
Derbyshire 74 0.42x
Durham 60 0.18x
Cheshire 58 0.23x
Lanarkshire 47 0.13x
Lincolnshire 47 0.26x
Worcestershire 40 0.27x
Glamorgan 36 0.18x
Norfolk 36 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 35 0.23x
Gloucestershire 33 0.15x
Midlothian 32 0.21x
Aberdeenshire 30 0.29x
Oxfordshire 24 0.35x
Cambridgeshire 20 0.28x
Leicestershire 20 0.16x
Northumberland 19 0.11x
Wiltshire 17 0.17x
Berkshire 16 0.19x
Monmouthshire 16 0.20x
Northamptonshire 15 0.14x
Herefordshire 12 0.26x
Pembrokeshire 10 0.28x
Cornwall 8 0.06x
Fife 8 0.12x
Renfrewshire 8 0.09x
Westmorland 8 0.32x
Bedfordshire 7 0.12x
Channel Islands 7 0.21x
Hertfordshire 6 0.08x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.23x
Denbighshire 5 0.12x
East Lothian 5 0.34x
Kincardineshire 4 0.29x
Perthshire 4 0.08x
Shropshire 4 0.04x
Stirlingshire 4 0.10x
Royal Navy 3 0.22x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.03x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.12x
Peeblesshire 2 0.38x
Ross-shire 2 0.06x
Rutland 2 0.24x
Angus 1 0.01x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Brecknockshire 1 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Dorset 1 0.01x
Isle of Man 1 0.05x
Morayshire 1 0.06x
Radnorshire 1 0.11x
Roxburghshire 1 0.05x
Sutherland 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Huddersfield in Yorkshire leads with 574 Brooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.30x.

Place Total Index
Huddersfield 574 35.30x
Leeds 302 4.79x
Mirfield 277 45.20x
Almondbury 258 47.81x
Wyke In Bradford 202 101.21x
Wooldale 177 93.50x
Gomersal 174 33.40x
Bowling 167 15.11x
Lockwood 162 40.34x
Elland Cum Greetland 158 31.43x
Dewsbury 155 13.54x
Horton In Bradford 153 8.78x
Bradford 151 5.59x
Hipperholme Cum 134 27.32x
Longwood 134 74.49x
Dalton In Huddersfield 128 51.20x
Hunslet 128 7.35x
Morley 128 22.06x
Halifax 125 7.63x
North Bierley 124 20.58x
Liversedge 115 23.15x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 111 39.43x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 95 23.83x
Upperthong 94 99.03x
Thornhill 91 27.94x
Northowram 88 11.24x
Batley 87 8.20x
Kirkheaton 87 48.06x
Rastrick 85 27.42x
Armley 82 16.66x
Honley 81 41.46x
Meltham 80 46.09x
Baildon 76 36.16x
Cleckheaton 72 17.51x
Pudsey 72 12.07x
Linthwaite 69 29.42x
Golcar 67 22.70x
Hackney London 66 1.05x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 66 12.73x
Wortley In Bramley 66 7.47x
Islington London 65 0.60x
Kirkburton 65 49.40x
Pontefract 65 27.04x
Camberwell 60 0.83x
Cartworth 56 60.67x
Lepton 52 44.60x
Shoreditch London 50 1.02x
Wakefield 50 5.84x
Bramley In Bramley 49 11.47x
Holbeck 49 6.63x
Manningham 47 3.42x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 46 11.35x
Oldham 46 1.07x
Winkleigh 46 97.73x
Idle 43 8.31x
Brighton 41 1.07x
South Crosland 41 34.89x
Bradfield 40 9.30x
Headingley Cum Burley 40 5.57x
Gildersome 39 29.07x
Keighley 39 3.28x
Southowram 39 11.45x
Lambeth 35 0.36x
Manchester 35 0.58x
Castleford 34 8.37x
Normanton 34 10.14x
Shelf 34 31.89x
Warbleton 34 60.07x
Kensington London 33 0.53x
Sheffield 33 0.93x
Birmingham 32 0.34x
East Ardsley 32 33.11x
Skircoat 32 7.27x
Bermondsey 31 0.92x
Shelley 31 47.50x
Farnley In Bramley 30 21.53x
Kirkdale 30 1.33x
St Marylebone London 30 0.50x
West Ardsley 30 22.33x
Deptford St Paul 29 0.98x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Brook surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 810
Sarah 512
Elizabeth 360
Ann 266
Hannah 241
Annie 210
Emma 202
Jane 190
Martha 182
Ellen 169
Alice 153
Eliza 139
Emily 125
Clara 104
Harriet 96
Ada 83
Louisa 74
Maria 63
Edith 60
Frances 53
Florence 52
Fanny 50
Ruth 46
Caroline 45
Charlotte 44
Margaret 41
Agnes 39
Lucy 36
Kate 32
Anne 31
Amelia 30
Esther 30
Harriett 28
Rose 28
Sophia 28
Betty 27
Nancy 27
Susannah 27
Laura 25
Lydia 25
Rebecca 23
Minnie 22
Rachel 22
Susan 22
Amy 20
Catherine 20
Ethel 19
Gertrude 19
Grace 19
Selina 19

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Brook surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 596
William 526
George 344
James 314
Joseph 241
Thomas 238
Charles 187
Henry 174
Arthur 150
Samuel 112
Edward 100
Walter 96
Richard 95
Harry 94
Fred 93
Albert 91
Alfred 79
Herbert 76
Robert 73
Benjamin 71
Joe 65
Frederick 60
Edwin 54
Tom 51
Sam 49
Ernest 47
Frank 41
David 39
Joshua 36
Willie 34
Wm. 30
Isaac 25
Geo. 23
Jonathan 22
Ben 21
Edgar 21
Allen 20
Abraham 17
Christopher 17
Mark 16
Wright 16
Leonard 14
Percy 14
Sidney 14
Squire 14
Thos. 14
Francis 13
Matthew 13
Philip 13
Chas. 12

FAQ

Brook surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brook surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11,590 people were recorded with the Brook surname. That placed it at #367 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brook surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,389 in 2016. That gives Brook a modern rank of #690.

What does the Brook surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

What does the Brook map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Brook bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.