NameCensus.

UK surname

Brooke

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

In the 1881 census there were 4,465 people recorded with the Brooke surname, ranking it #1,003 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,454, ranked #1,226, down from #1,003 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mirfield, London parishes and Birstall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Kirklees and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brooke is 6,752 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.2%.

1881 census count

4,465

Ranked #1,003

Modern count

5,454

2016, ranked #1,226

Peak year

1911

6,752 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brooke had 4,465 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,003 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,454 in 2016, ranked #1,226.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,752 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Brooke surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brooke surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brooke 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 2,548 #1,162
1861 historical 2,973 #967
1881 historical 4,465 #1,003
1891 historical 5,586 #843
1901 historical 5,902 #940
1911 historical 6,752 #771
1997 modern 5,507 #1,185
1998 modern 5,673 #1,193
1999 modern 5,719 #1,196
2000 modern 5,717 #1,187
2001 modern 5,528 #1,203
2002 modern 5,587 #1,215
2003 modern 5,459 #1,214
2004 modern 5,476 #1,205
2005 modern 5,350 #1,220
2006 modern 5,362 #1,217
2007 modern 5,357 #1,224
2008 modern 5,346 #1,238
2009 modern 5,493 #1,231
2010 modern 5,674 #1,217
2011 modern 5,650 #1,203
2012 modern 5,517 #1,207
2013 modern 5,545 #1,228
2014 modern 5,579 #1,223
2015 modern 5,503 #1,224
2016 modern 5,454 #1,226

Geography

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Where Brookes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mirfield, London parishes, Birstall, Batley and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Kirklees, Herefordshire and Sheffield. 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 Mirfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 022 Wakefield
2 Kirklees 005 Kirklees
3 Herefordshire 023 Herefordshire, County of
4 Kirklees 018 Kirklees
5 Sheffield 008 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brooke

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brooke

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brooke, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Brooke 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

Brooke is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brooke falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brooke is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Brooke

The surname BROOKE originated in England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It derives from the Old English word 'broc', meaning a small stream or brook. The name was likely first adopted by someone who lived near a brook or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named 'Broc' in Hertfordshire. Over time, the spelling evolved, with variants like 'Broke', 'Brooke', and 'Brook' emerging.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was particularly prevalent in Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. Notable historical figures with the name include Sir Robert Brooke (c. 1490-1558), an English military commander who served under Henry VIII, and Henry Brooke, 8th Baron Cobham (1564-1619), a renowned Elizabethan courtier and writer.

In the 17th century, the BROOKE family became prominent landowners in Virginia, USA. Major Robert Brooke (c. 1602-1663) was among the earliest settlers in the colony and served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. His descendants went on to establish the influential Brooke family of Virginia.

Another notable figure was Sir James Brooke (1803-1868), a British explorer and adventurer who became the first White Rajah of Sarawak (now part of Malaysia) in 1841. He played a significant role in suppressing piracy and establishing British influence in the region.

In the literary world, Rupert Brooke (1887-1915) was a celebrated English poet and writer, known for his idealistic war sonnets during World War I. His untimely death from sepsis on a French hospital ship during the Gallipoli Campaign further cemented his status as a national icon.

The BROOKE surname has also been associated with places like Brooke House in Westminster, London, which was built in the 17th century and served as a residence for several prominent individuals, including Lord Brooke and his descendants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brooke families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brooke 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 2,342 Brookes recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.43x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,342 5.43x
Middlesex 403 0.93x
Lancashire 235 0.46x
Cheshire 194 2.02x
Surrey 191 0.90x
Warwickshire 131 1.19x
Kent 102 0.69x
Gloucestershire 90 1.05x
Suffolk 63 1.19x
Worcestershire 59 1.04x
Staffordshire 58 0.39x
Norfolk 52 0.78x
Somerset 52 0.74x
Lincolnshire 42 0.60x
Derbyshire 40 0.59x
Sussex 37 0.50x
Essex 35 0.41x
Hampshire 34 0.38x
Devon 28 0.31x
Shropshire 23 0.61x
Wiltshire 23 0.60x
Durham 20 0.15x
Glamorgan 20 0.26x
Lanarkshire 17 0.12x
Nottinghamshire 16 0.27x
Aberdeenshire 13 0.32x
Hertfordshire 13 0.43x
Midlothian 12 0.21x
Northamptonshire 11 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 10 0.36x
Herefordshire 10 0.56x
Leicestershire 8 0.17x
Monmouthshire 8 0.25x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.23x
Isle of Man 6 0.74x
Oxfordshire 6 0.22x
Perthshire 6 0.31x
Stirlingshire 6 0.37x
Bedfordshire 5 0.22x
Denbighshire 5 0.30x
East Lothian 5 0.87x
Northumberland 5 0.08x
Dorset 4 0.14x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.42x
Berkshire 3 0.09x
Brecknockshire 1 0.11x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.28x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
Cumberland 1 0.03x
Flintshire 1 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Batley in Yorkshire leads with 173 Brookes recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.21x.

Place Total Index
Batley 173 42.21x
Dewsbury 137 30.98x
Huddersfield 134 21.33x
Leeds 122 5.01x
Soothill 111 71.26x
Cleckheaton 106 66.73x
Mirfield 94 39.70x
Gomersal 71 35.28x
South Crosland 67 147.58x
Birmingham 66 1.80x
Thornhill 60 47.68x
Wakefield 50 15.10x
Bradford 47 4.50x
Liversedge 46 23.96x
Hunslet 42 6.25x
St Pancras London 42 1.20x
Lockwood 37 23.85x
Camberwell 34 1.22x
Islington London 31 0.74x
Lambeth 31 0.82x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 31 20.12x
Bollington In 30 35.09x
Horton In Bradford 30 4.45x
Aston 29 0.96x
Horbury 28 37.12x
St Marylebone London 27 1.16x
Thurgoland 26 89.38x
Almondbury 25 11.99x
Doncaster 25 7.94x
Hornsey 25 4.54x
Kensington London 25 1.03x
Sheffield 24 1.75x
Ashton Under Lyne 23 2.04x
Bethnal Green London 23 1.22x
Holy Trinity 23 2.22x
Shoreditch London 23 1.22x
Honley 22 29.15x
Pudsey 22 9.54x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 21 13.41x
Idle 21 10.50x
Rotherham 20 8.23x
Salford 20 1.32x
Hackney London 19 0.78x
Hulme 19 1.76x
Shitlington 19 42.59x
Wortley In Bramley 19 5.56x
Brighton 18 1.22x
Headingley Cum Burley 18 6.48x
Kempley 18 428.57x
Marple 18 27.30x
Battersea 17 1.06x
Hipperholme Cum 17 8.97x
Everton 16 0.97x
Maidstone 16 3.62x
Stockport 16 3.24x
Stoke Newington London 16 4.72x
Wombwell 16 12.72x
Altofts 15 31.52x
Bromsgrove 15 7.84x
Dalton In Huddersfield 15 15.53x
Hartshead 15 77.64x
Lewisham 15 1.89x
Manningham 15 2.82x
Saddleworth 15 4.51x
Heckmondwike 14 10.09x
Penistone 14 41.64x
Shepley 14 58.90x
Dodworth 13 29.02x
Farnley In Bramley 13 24.15x
Gildersome 13 25.08x
Greenwich 13 1.88x
Nottingham St Mary 13 0.86x
Old Sodbury 13 121.84x
Rastrick 13 10.85x
West Ham 13 0.69x
Willesden 13 3.17x
Blackburn 12 0.87x
Chelsea London 12 0.92x
Dukinfield 12 2.70x
Tottenham 12 1.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 322
Sarah 164
Elizabeth 128
Emma 82
Ann 79
Annie 73
Hannah 72
Martha 68
Alice 64
Ellen 59
Jane 59
Eliza 55
Emily 49
Clara 38
Ada 37
Edith 34
Harriet 31
Margaret 31
Florence 30
Anne 24
Fanny 24
Charlotte 22
Maria 22
Caroline 21
Gertrude 17
Louisa 17
Frances 16
Harriett 15
Lucy 14
Eleanor 13
Ethel 13
Amy 12
Catherine 12
Ruth 12
Agnes 11
Esther 11
Grace 11
Susannah 11
Bertha 10
Minnie 10
Sophia 10
Anna 9
Helen 9
Laura 9
Susan 9
Amelia 8
Julia 8
Lilly 8
Lydia 8
Rose 7

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 222
William 197
George 129
James 119
Thomas 106
Charles 86
Joseph 86
Henry 82
Arthur 76
Alfred 47
Walter 47
Edward 44
Robert 38
Harry 36
Richard 34
Albert 32
Herbert 29
Frederick 28
Samuel 27
Frank 26
Wm. 20
Benjamin 19
Fred 18
Joe 18
Sam 17
Tom 17
Edwin 16
Ernest 16
Joshua 14
Willie 14
David 13
Ben 11
Thos. 10
Mark 9
Isaac 8
Chas. 7
Daniel 7
Geo. 7
Harold 7
Matthew 6
Percy 6
Alexander 5
Earnest 5
Edmund 5
Francis 5
Leonard 5
Lewis 5
Louis 5
Horace 4
Sydney 4

FAQ

Brooke surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brooke surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,465 people were recorded with the Brooke surname. That placed it at #1,003 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brooke surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,454 in 2016. That gives Brooke a modern rank of #1,226.

What does the Brooke surname mean?

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

What does the Brooke map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Brooke 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.