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Brook Family History

Brook Name Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived by a brook stream water-meadows or low marshy ground from Middle English brook Old English brōc ‘brook stream’; or a habitational name from any of various places called with this word such as Brook (Kent Rutland) or Brooke (Norfolk). North German: topographic name for someone who lived by a water meadow or marsh from Low German brook (cognate with German Bruch ‘swamp’ and Old English brōc; see 1 above). Americanized form of Dutch Broek: topographic name from broek a cognate of 2 above. Americanized form of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Bruck or German Bruch .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Brock, Rook, Book, Crook, Rock, Krock, Brooks, Brooke, Krook, Boot

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Brook family from?

You can see how Brook families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brook family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brook families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 7,690 Brook families living in Yorkshire. This was about 64% of all the recorded Brook's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Brook families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brook surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Brook ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Brook. 6% of Brook men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Brook women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brook were Builders Labourer and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Brook | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Motor Driver
    3%
  • Retired
    2%
  • Builders Labourer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brook family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 335,000 census records available for the last name Brook. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brook census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brook

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Brook. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Brook immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 17,000 military records available for the last name Brook. For the veterans among your Brook ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Brook lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Brook life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Brook in 1949 was 60, and 81 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brook

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