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

Westbrooks, 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 Westbrooks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westbrooks in America

Westbrooks is the 13155th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westbrooks surname appeared 2,326 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Westbrooks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westbrooks 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 Westbrooks

The surname "WESTBROOKS" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name "West Brooks," which likely referred to a settlement near a westerly flowing stream or brook. This name is a combination of the Old English words "west" and "broc," meaning a small stream.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a William de Westbrok in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297. These rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire, where a John de Westbrok is listed as a taxpayer in 1327. These records were compiled to collect taxes for military campaigns and other governmental expenses.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, "WESTBROOKS." One of the earliest recorded individuals with this spelling was Robert Westbrooks, who was born in Nottinghamshire in 1542.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname "WESTBROOKS" throughout history. Sir John Westbrooks (1580-1655) was an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, William Westbrooks (1718-1795) was a prominent merchant and ship owner from Bristol, England, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.

Moving into the 19th century, John Westbrooks (1819-1892) was a renowned British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall in London.

In the United States, one notable figure was Sarah Westbrooks (1857-1938), an African American educator and activist who advocated for equal educational opportunities for black children in the South.

Finally, in the 20th century, David Westbrooks (1920-2005) was a highly decorated British military officer who served with distinction during World War II and later became a respected historian and author.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westbrooks

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

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

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

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