NameCensus.

UK surname

Brooksbank

An English surname derived from a topographic name for someone who lived near a small brook or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 980 people recorded with the Brooksbank surname, ranking it #3,969 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,106, ranked #5,314, down from #3,969 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Halifax and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Brooksbank is 1,224 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.9%.

1881 census count

980

Ranked #3,969

Modern count

1,106

2016, ranked #5,314

Peak year

1901

1,224 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Brooksbank had 980 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,969 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,106 in 2016, ranked #5,314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,224 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Brooksbank surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Brooksbank surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Brooksbank 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 610 #4,225
1861 historical 628 #4,264
1881 historical 980 #3,969
1891 historical 1,084 #3,893
1901 historical 1,224 #4,041
1911 historical 1,194 #3,931
1997 modern 1,096 #5,088
1998 modern 1,156 #5,032
1999 modern 1,184 #4,992
2000 modern 1,170 #5,014
2001 modern 1,131 #5,059
2002 modern 1,164 #5,037
2003 modern 1,110 #5,136
2004 modern 1,141 #5,030
2005 modern 1,113 #5,088
2006 modern 1,086 #5,187
2007 modern 1,106 #5,163
2008 modern 1,115 #5,164
2009 modern 1,118 #5,243
2010 modern 1,130 #5,313
2011 modern 1,132 #5,244
2012 modern 1,080 #5,371
2013 modern 1,102 #5,363
2014 modern 1,116 #5,327
2015 modern 1,109 #5,319
2016 modern 1,106 #5,314

Geography

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Where Brooksbanks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Halifax, Bradford, Keighley and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford and Calderdale. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 046 Bradford
2 Calderdale 003 Calderdale
3 Bradford 041 Bradford
4 Bradford 022 Bradford
5 Bradford 058 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Brooksbank

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Brooksbank

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Brooksbank, 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 Brooksbank surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Brooksbank 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, Brooksbank 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

Brooksbank is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Brooksbank falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Brooksbank 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 Brooksbank, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Brooksbank

The surname Brooksbank originates from England, where it first appeared in the early 13th century. It is a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a brook or stream along the bank of a river or watercourse. The earliest recorded spelling is believed to be Brokesbonke, found in the Sussex Subsidy Rolls of 1296.

Brooksbank is a compound surname, combining the Old English words 'broc' meaning a small stream or brook, and 'banke' meaning the slope or bank of a river or stream. It likely referred to someone who lived near a particular brook or stream bank, either as a descriptive nickname or a locational identifier.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John de Brokesbanke, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379. The surname also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, although under slightly different spellings such as Brochesbanca or Brochesbanc.

Over the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Brokesbank, Broksbank, Brokysbanke, and Brokesbonke, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname Brooksbank include:

1. Sir Edward Brooksbank (1694-1767), a British politician and member of Parliament for York. 2. Thomas Brooksbank (1742-1828), an English clergyman and author of several religious works. 3. William Brooksbank (1760-1835), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 4. Mary Brooksbank (1797-1888), a British writer and philanthropist known for her work in promoting education for women. 5. James Brooksbank (1824-1898), a British industrialist and founder of the Brooksbank Foundry in Leeds, which manufactured steam engines and machinery.

The surname Brooksbank is still found primarily in England, particularly in the northern counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, reflecting its historical roots in those regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Brooksbank families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Brooksbank 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 749 Brooksbanks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.91x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 749 7.91x
Lancashire 87 0.77x
Nottinghamshire 41 3.18x
Durham 20 0.70x
Kent 12 0.37x
Lanarkshire 8 0.26x
Angus 7 0.79x
Cheshire 7 0.33x
Fife 6 1.06x
Middlesex 6 0.06x
Westmorland 6 2.86x
Leicestershire 5 0.47x
Northamptonshire 5 0.56x
Surrey 5 0.11x
Berkshire 3 0.42x
Cumberland 3 0.36x
Hampshire 2 0.10x
Anglesey 1 0.59x
Essex 1 0.05x
Inverness-shire 1 0.35x
Oxfordshire 1 0.17x
Perthshire 1 0.23x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Sussex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thornton In Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 56 Brooksbanks recorded in 1881 and an index of 177.55x.

Place Total Index
Thornton In Bradford 56 177.55x
Nottingham St Mary 38 11.40x
Bradford 35 15.26x
Halifax 30 21.57x
Shipley 29 58.99x
Bingley 28 46.41x
Leeds 28 5.23x
Wilsden 27 277.49x
Bowling 26 27.71x
Morley 22 44.67x
Gomersal 20 45.23x
South Crosland 20 200.60x
Almondbury 18 39.29x
Hunslet 18 12.19x
Headingley Cum Burley 16 26.24x
Huddersfield 16 11.59x
Keighley 15 14.86x
Bradfield 14 38.34x
Allerton 13 107.71x
Ardwick 13 12.71x
Greasbrough 12 95.92x
Hulme 11 4.64x
Manningham 11 9.43x
Ovenden 11 26.09x
Clayton 10 43.14x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 3.63x
Barnoldswick 9 68.08x
Ecclesall Bierlow 9 4.67x
Holbeck 9 14.34x
North Duffield 9 731.71x
Rotherham 9 16.85x
Sheffield 9 2.98x
West Derby 9 2.71x
Gillingham 8 11.90x
Govan 8 1.05x
Meltham 8 54.31x
Menthorpe Cum Bowthorpe 8 5000.00x
Newbottle 8 51.51x
Tadcaster West 8 106.67x
Whitby 8 25.06x
Wombwell 8 28.96x
Wortley In Bramley 8 10.66x
Barmby On Marsh 7 693.07x
Barnsley 7 7.16x
Burnsall 7 1750.00x
Dundee 7 2.12x
Ecclesfield 7 10.08x
Kirkburton 7 62.67x
Beath 6 33.56x
Healaugh 6 769.23x
Hindley 6 12.41x
Horton In Bradford 6 4.06x
Middleton On Wolds 6 288.46x
Moss Side 6 10.05x
Oldham 6 1.64x
South Duffield 6 952.38x
Undermilbeck 6 86.58x
Batley 5 5.55x
Dewsbury 5 5.15x
Formby 5 38.94x
Framwellgate 5 29.67x
Idle 5 11.38x
Ilkley 5 32.30x
Loughborough 5 10.40x
Manchester 5 0.98x
Methley 5 37.48x
Normanton 5 17.56x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 5 20.60x
Pudsey 5 9.87x
Chapel Allerton 4 28.21x
East Broughton 4 123.84x
Peterborough 4 6.14x
Skelton In Guisbrough 4 15.61x
Skircoat 4 10.71x
Swinton In Rotherham 4 15.97x
Thornaby 4 11.30x
Blackburn 3 0.99x
Goole 3 18.90x
Haworth 3 13.32x
Selby 3 15.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 77
Sarah 43
Elizabeth 28
Hannah 26
Ann 20
Annie 19
Martha 18
Emma 17
Alice 16
Eliza 14
Jane 13
Ellen 11
Lucy 11
Emily 10
Ada 6
Edith 5
Louisa 5
Margaret 5
Catherine 4
Clara 4
Eleanor 4
Florence 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Maria 4
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Esther 3
Ethel 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Agatha 2
Beatrice 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Gertrude 2
Grace 2
Henrietta 2
Julia 2
Lilly 2
Lily 2
May 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Arimista 1
Delia 1
Diana 1
Sushannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 69
William 36
George 30
James 29
Joseph 26
Arthur 17
Thomas 17
Walter 13
David 12
Henry 12
Edward 9
Charles 8
Albert 7
Harry 7
Jonas 7
Robert 7
Samuel 7
Alfred 5
Allen 5
Benjamin 5
Edwin 5
Fred 5
Herbert 4
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Joshua 3
Matthew 3
Richard 3
Robt. 3
Sam 3
Willie 3
Wright 3
Andrew 2
Eli 2
Enoch 2
Geo. 2
Hugh 2
Lancelot 2
Marcus 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Nathan 2
Percy 2
Thos. 2
Willm. 2
Wm. 2
Aurther 1
Auther 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1

FAQ

Brooksbank surname: questions and answers

How common was the Brooksbank surname in 1881?

In 1881, 980 people were recorded with the Brooksbank surname. That placed it at #3,969 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Brooksbank surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,106 in 2016. That gives Brooksbank a modern rank of #5,314.

What does the Brooksbank surname mean?

An English surname derived from a topographic name for someone who lived near a small brook or stream.

What does the Brooksbank map show?

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