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

Brookins, 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 Brookins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brookins in America

Brookins is the 6219th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brookins surname appeared 5,499 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 Brookins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brookins 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 Brookins

The surname Brookins is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "broc" meaning a small stream or brook, and "holm" meaning a small hill or island. The name likely refers to someone who lived near a small stream or brook on a small hill or island.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Brocholme." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in parts of England.

During the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Brokholme" and "Brokholmes" appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the surname began to take on its more modern spelling of "Brookins." One notable example is John Brookins, who was born in 1367 in Gloucestershire and served as a yeoman to the local lord.

By the 16th century, the Brookins family had spread to various parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Brookins was Sir Richard Brookins (1588-1662), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Worcestershire during the English Civil War.

Another notable figure was Reverend Thomas Brookins (1624-1695), a Puritan minister who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire for over 40 years.

In the 18th century, the Brookins family continued to thrive, with several members achieving prominence. William Brookins (1707-1782) was a successful merchant and banker in London, while his son, also named William Brookins (1736-1819), became a respected lawyer and judge.

As the Brookins family continued to grow and spread across England and other parts of the British Isles, the surname took on various spellings, including Brookings, Brookin, and Brookens. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its connection to small streams and hills.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brookins

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

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 Brookins 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 Brookins 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 Brookins was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!