2000
#23,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,028
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Brooking
A locational surname derived from a place where there was a small stream or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,116 Americans carry the last name Brooking. That puts it at #26,423 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 307,128 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brooking 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 Brooking with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 307,128
Census rank
#26,423
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
973
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 973 bearers of the surname Brooking in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26423rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brooking, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brooking
The surname Brooking originated in England, with its roots traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, specifically around the 7th to 11th centuries. The name is derived from the Old English words "broc" or "brok," meaning a small stream or brook, and the suffix "-ing," indicating a person's association with a particular place or feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Brooking surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Brokkinges" and "Brokkings," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era.
The Brooking surname is closely tied to several place names in England, particularly those with the prefix "Brook-" or "Brock-." For example, the village of Brooking in Kent and the hamlet of Brooking in Somerset may have been the original locations from which the surname emerged. Additionally, similar place names like Brockington and Brockenhurst in Hampshire could also have contributed to the development of the Brooking surname.
Among the notable individuals who bore the Brooking surname throughout history are:
1. John Brooking (c. 1460-1538), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
2. William Brooking (c. 1580-1649), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the town of Salem, Massachusetts, in the early days of the American colonies.
3. Sarah Brooking (1691-1765), an English writer and poet, known for her collection of religious poems titled "Divine Breathings."
4. Thomas Brooking (1720-1796), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and was awarded the prestigious Naval Gold Medal for his distinguished service.
5. Edward Brooking (1821-1891), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Connaught Rooms and the Royal College of Music.
While the Brooking surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage, contributing to the rich tapestry of family histories and cultural diversity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brooking
Among Census respondents with the surname Brooking, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Brooking 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 Brooking surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 850
- Black or African American6.2% · 60
- Two or more races3.9% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brooking
Brooking 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
#24,075
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,046
+18 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 908 places
2020
#26,423
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 973
-73 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 2,348 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,167 | 1,028 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,075 | 1,046 | 0.35 | +18 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 908 places |
| 2020 | #26,423 | 973 | 0.33 | -73 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 2,348 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 Brooking 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 | #24,075 | #26,423 | -9.8% |
| Count | 1,046 | 973 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.33 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brooking bearers went from 1,046 to 973 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 2,348 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,075 to #26,423.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Brooking
FAQ
Brooking surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brooking?
Name Census estimates that about 1,116 living Americans carry the surname Brooking. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 307,128 residents.
How common is Brooking?
Brooking ranks #26,423 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 973 people with the surname Brooking. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Brooking.
Has Brooking become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brooking went from 1,046 recorded bearers to 973. That is a decrease of 73 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,075 to #26,423.
What does the Census say about the background of Brooking?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brooking, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Brooking in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (850 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brooking appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Black (6.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Brooking (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 Brooking mean?
A locational surname derived from a place where there was a small stream or brook. 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 Brooking (0.33 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 common is the surname Brooking?
If you just want to know how many people are called Brooking, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.