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

Holbrook, 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 Holbrook surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Holbrook in America

Holbrook is the 1502nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Holbrook surname appeared 23,843 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Holbrook.

We can also compare 2010 data for Holbrook 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 Holbrook

The surname Holbrook is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words 'hol' meaning 'hollow' and 'broc' meaning 'brook'. It was initially a topographic name for someone who lived near a brook or stream that flowed through a hollow or valley.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Aluric de Holbrook, who was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror.

The Holbrook surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where numerous places with names containing the elements 'hol' and 'broc' were located. Examples include Holbrook in Derbyshire, Holbrook in Oxfordshire, and Holbeck in West Yorkshire.

Notable individuals with the Holbrook surname throughout history include Sir John Holbrook (c. 1520-1578), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in 1553. Another prominent figure was Samuel Holbrook (1652-1709), a British theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Holbrook name gained prominence in the American colonies, with several families settling in New England and other regions. One of the earliest Holbrook settlers was Thomas Holbrook, who arrived in Massachusetts from England in 1635.

Other notable individuals with the Holbrook surname include John Edwards Holbrook (1794-1871), an American naturalist and author known for his work on herpetology, and Josiah Holbrook (1788-1854), an American educator and founder of the first traveling educational program in the United States.

In more recent times, the Holbrook name has been associated with several notable figures, such as Hal Holbrook (1925-2021), an American actor best known for his portrayal of Mark Twain, and Ralph Holbrook (1892-1976), an American attorney and conservationist who played a key role in the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Holbrook

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

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

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

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