Find out how popular the last name Brooker is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Brooker.

Brooker, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Brooker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brooker in America

Brooker is the 6774th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brooker surname appeared 4,979 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Brooker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brooker to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Brooker

The surname Brooker originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words 'broc' meaning a small stream or brook, and 'er' which denotes a person living near a particular location or feature. The name was initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone residing close to a brook or stream.

Brooker is believed to have first appeared in written records in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Early examples of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population across England and parts of Wales.

During the Middle Ages, the Brooker surname was concentrated in various counties across southern and central England, particularly in areas with an abundance of small streams and brooks. Some of the earliest documented instances of the name include Walter le Broker, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1194, and Richard le Brokere, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1207.

Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Broker, Broker, Brokere, and Brockere, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records and regional dialects of the time. The modern spelling of Brooker became more standardized in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Notable individuals with the Brooker surname throughout history include John Brooker (1554-1631), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Eyam during the infamous plague outbreak in the village in 1665-1666. Another prominent figure was William Brooker (1719-1791), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.

In the 19th century, Henry Brooker (1837-1912) was a New Zealand politician and businessman who served as a member of the New Zealand Parliament. Robert Brooker (1880-1948) was a British painter and etcher known for his landscapes and portraits, while Bertram Brooker (1888-1955) was a Canadian painter, writer, and pioneer of abstract art in Canada.

While the Brooker surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through migration and settlement in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era in England, where it was initially used to identify individuals living near small streams or brooks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brooker

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Brooker.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brooker was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Brooker has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Brooker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brooker, please contact us.

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