2000
#11,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,468
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Estabrook
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a brook to the east of a settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,746 Americans carry the last name Estabrook. That puts it at #12,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,819 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Estabrook surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Estabrook with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 124,819
Census rank
#12,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,395 bearers of the surname Estabrook in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Estabrook, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Estabrook
The surname Estabrook is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words "ea" meaning stream or river, and "broc" meaning brook or small stream. It is believed to have originated in England as a locational name for someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Estanbroke" in Somerset. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in that region of England.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as "Estanbroc," "Estanbrock," and "Estanbroke" in records from Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.
One notable historical figure with the surname Estabrook was Sir John Estabrook (1518-1593), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served in the Parliament of 1559 and played a role in suppressing the Northern Rebellion in 1569.
Another significant individual was Reverend Samuel Estabrook (1647-1727), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of Canterbury, Connecticut. He was born in Enfield, Essex, England, and emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1660.
In the 18th century, Joseph Estabrook (1739-1821) was a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War. He served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army and participated in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill.
During the 19th century, Henry Estabrook (1816-1903) was an American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin. He served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and played a significant role in the state's early political landscape.
Another notable figure was Harriet Estabrook (1842-1914), an American educator and social reformer. She was a prominent advocate for women's rights and played a crucial role in establishing the Ohio Woman Suffrage Association.
The surname Estabrook has its roots in the Old English language and can be traced back to the 11th century in England. Over the centuries, it has been associated with various notable individuals from different walks of life, including soldiers, ministers, politicians, and social reformers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Estabrook
Among Census respondents with the surname Estabrook, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Estabrook bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Estabrook surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,200
- Two or more races3.1% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 17
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Estabrook
Estabrook appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,529
+61 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 644 places
2020
#12,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,395
-134 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 93 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,648 | 2,468 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,292 | 2,529 | 0.86 | +61 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 644 places |
| 2020 | #12,385 | 2,395 | 0.80 | -134 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 93 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Estabrook surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,292 | #12,385 | -0.8% |
| Count | 2,529 | 2,395 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.80 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Estabrook bearers went from 2,529 to 2,395 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 93 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,292 to #12,385.
FAQ
Estabrook surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Estabrook?
Name Census estimates that about 2,746 living Americans carry the surname Estabrook. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,819 residents.
How common is Estabrook?
Estabrook ranks #12,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,395 people with the surname Estabrook. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,746), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Estabrook.
Has Estabrook become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Estabrook went from 2,529 recorded bearers to 2,395. That is a decrease of 134 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,292 to #12,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Estabrook?
Among Census respondents with the surname Estabrook, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Estabrook in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,200 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Estabrook appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Estabrook (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Estabrook mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a brook to the east of a settlement. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Estabrook (0.80 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Estabrook?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.