Contents [hide]

Holbrook History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Holbrook History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Holbrook name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Holbrook was originally derived from a family having lived in the region of Holbrook in Suffolk. The surname Holbrook originally referred to a "sunken stream"or "hollow brook", "brook in a hollow" in Old English. 1

"Holbrook is an ancient surname in the east of England. As Holebrok, we found it six centuries ago in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk, and also in Northamptonshire. There are parishes, etc., named Holbrook in the counties of Derby, Warwick, Gloucester, Dorset, and Sussex." 2

Early Origins of the Holbrook family

The surname Holbrook was first found in Suffolk at Holbrook, a parish, in the incorporation and hundred of Samford or at Holbrook in Derbyshire, a chapelry, in the parish of Duffield, union of Belper, hundred of Appletree. Both locations are listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Holebroc. 3 Literally, the place name means "hollow brook", "brook in a hollow," from the Old English words "hol" + "broc." 1

"Holbrook Hall is a fine old mansion, surrounded with 300 acres of land" 4 built in the 17th century. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include some of the first entries for the family: William de Holebrok, Lincolnshire; Richard de Holebrokke, Suffolk; and Roger de Holebrokke, Nottinghamshire. 5 Kirby's Quest listed Isota Holebrok, in Somerset, temp. 1 Edward III. 6 Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed William Holbroke. 5

Early History of the Holbrook family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holbrook research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1412, 1413, 1418, 1421, 1437, 1622 and 1635 are included under the topic Early Holbrook History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holbrook Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Holbrook include Holbrook, Holbrow, Holbrooks, Holbroake and many more.

Early Notables of the Holbrook family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Holbrook (d. 1437), Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, a native of Suffolk. He was educated at Peterhouse, of which he became a fellow in 1412

Holbrook Ranking

In the United States, the name Holbrook is the 1,396^th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 7

Holbrook migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Holbrook Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Holbrook, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1630
Mr. Thomas Holbrook, who arrived in New England in 1635 aboard the ship "Mary Gould", with his wife and children 8
Thomas Holbrook, who landed in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1645 9
William Holbrook, who arrived in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1647 9
Richard Holbrook, who arrived in New England in 1648 9

Holbrook Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Holbrook, who landed in New England in 1710 9
Jacob Holbrook, who arrived in Georgia in 1745 9

Holbrook Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

W Holbrook, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 9

Holbrook migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Holbrook Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Holbrook, (b. 1781), aged 39, British Convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Frederick Holbrook, (b. 1815), aged 15, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830, arriving in New South Wales, he died in 1830 aboard the ship 11
Mr. Isaac Holbrook, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 20th August 1830, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. John Holbrook, (b. 1806), aged 27, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for robbery, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Henry Holbrook, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Blenheim" on 11th March 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Holbrook migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Holbrook Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Holbrook, aged 44, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
Fanny Holbrook, aged 34, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
Jane Holbrook, aged 9, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
Emily Holbrook, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
Ernest Holbrook, aged 4, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Holbrook (post 1700) +

Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook Jr. (1925-2021), Tony and Emmy Award-winning American actor, in both cases for his performance as "Mark Twain"
Kate Holbrook (1972-2022), American historian and write, Managing Historian of Women’s History in the Church History Department (CHD) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)
Herman Lindsay "Duff" Holbrook (1923-2015), American wildlife biologist, forester, and outdoorsman, a leading expert on the wild turkey
Brigadier-General Willard Ames Jr. Holbrook (1898-1988), American Commanding General 11th Armored Division (1945) 15
Lucius Roy Holbrook (1875-1952), American Major General, commander of the United States Army's Philippine Department (1936 to 1938)
John Edwards Holbrook (1794-1871), American zoologist, herpetologist, physician, and naturalist
Stewart Hall Holbrook (1893-1964), American lumberjack, writer, and popular historian
John Holbrook, American fantasy and science fiction author
Carl Holbrook, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 10th District, 1932 16
Bobbie Sue Holbrook, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1996 16
... (Another 46 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blenheim
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 30) Willard Holbrook. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Holbrook/Willard_Ames_Jr./USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html