Brooks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Brooks

What does the name Brooks mean?

The ancestors of the Brooks family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Essex, England. The name, however, derives from the family's former residence in Broc, in the area of Anjou, France. 1

Early Origins of the Brooks family

The surname Brooks was first found in Essex, England. Medieval forms of the name are Ate-Broc, Atte-Broc, Attenbroke and was more often than not pluralized to Brooks and Brookes in modern times. 2

Originally from the Norman "Broc," meaning "a stream" or "at the brook," one of the first references was of Robert le Broc and Ranyllph le Broc, two knights having estates in Essex in the year 1119. A few years later, Eustace delbroc was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1130 and Rand de Broc was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1157. 3

The Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I, listed Edelina del Brok. Henry III-Edward I 4

Early in the 13th century, William de la Broke was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Surrey in 1208 and Emma de Brokes was listed in the same source but in Suffolk in 1220. 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Alice de la Broke and Laurence del Broc. 5 In Somerset, William atte Brouke was listed there, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

Early History of the Brooks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brooks research. Another 205 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1512, 1532, 1545, 1553, 1560, 1563, 1569, 1592, 1601, 1602, 1604, 1608, 1614, 1627, 1632, 1643, 1646, 1648, 1652, 1655, 1660, 1664, 1676, 1680, 1683, 1685 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Brooks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brooks Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Brooks were recorded, including Brook, Brooke, Brookes, Brooks, Brecks, Broocks and others.

Early Notables of the Brooks family

Thomas Brooks (1608-1680), an English non-conformist Puritan preacher and author

Brooks World Ranking

the United States, the name Brooks is the 73^rd most popular surname with an estimated 256,161 people with that name. 7 However, in Canada, the name Brooks is ranked the 247^th most popular surname with an estimated 16,458 people with that name. 8 And in Australia, the name Brooks is the 138^th popular surname with an estimated 20,231 people with that name. 9 New Zealand ranks Brooks as 290^th with 2,091 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Brooks as 127^th with 39,840 people. 11

Migration of the Brooks family to Ireland

Some of the Brooks family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 124 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brooks migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Brooks arrived in North America very early:

Brooks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Cutberd Brooks, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 13
James Brooks, who landed in Virginia in 1623 13
Sibile Brooks, who landed in Virginia in 1623 13
William Brooks, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 13
Thomas Brooks, aged 23, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "Southampton" 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brooks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robin Brooks, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 13
Fra Brooks, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 13
Margaret Brooks, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 13
Benja Brooks, who landed in Virginia in 1720 13
Fran Brooks, who landed in Georgia in 1738 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brooks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Brooks, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 13
Thomas, Brooks Jr., aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1812 13
Robert Brooks, who arrived in New York in 1822 13
Samuel Brooks, who landed in New York in 1822 13
James Brooks, who arrived in New York in 1822 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brooks Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Richard P. Brooks, (b. 1867), aged 35, Cornish miner, from St. Cleer, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Oceanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th April 1902 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 14
Miss Mounce Brooks, (b. 1898), aged 5, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 3rd May 1903 en route to Atlantic Mine, Michigan, USA 14
Mrs. Christiana Brooks, (b. 1878), aged 25, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 3rd May 1903 en route to Atlantic Mine, Michigan, USA 14
Sam D Brooks, who arrived in Arkansas in 1903 13
Mrs. Emma Brooks, (b. 1863), aged 41, Cornish settler, from Fowey, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Celtic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th June 1904 en route to Rockaway, New York, USA 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brooks migration to Canada +

Brooks Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Brooks, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Robert Brooks, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
John Brooks, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mary Brooks, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Chamr Brooks, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brooks migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Miss Ann Brooks, (Ann Lavender), (1765 - 1813), aged 24, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in , sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 12
Miss Jane Brooks, (1748 - 1897), aged 39, British settler convicted in London, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 13

Second Fleet

Mr. William Brooks, (d. 1800), British settler convicted in Essex, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 13
Mr. James Brooks, British settler convicted in Essex, England in 1790, sentenced to 14 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 13

Third Fleet

Mrs. Deborah Brooks, British settler on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788
Mr. Thomas Brooks, British boatswain on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788

Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Brooks Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Elizabeth Brooks, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15

Brooks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Isaac Brooks, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Miss Elizabeth Brooks, (b. 1770), aged 35, British servant who was convicted in Lancashire, England for 7 years for stealing fabric, transported aboard the "Fortune And Alexander" on 31st December 1805, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr. John Brooks, British settler who was convicted in St Joseph, Trinidad and Tobago for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Fortune And Alexander" on 31st December 1805, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr. Richard Brooks, English convict who was convicted in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
Mr. Thomas Brooks, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brooks 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:

Brooks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Brooks, who landed in Cloudy Bay, New Zealand in 1839
Stephen Brooks, aged 39, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
Sarah Brooks, aged 37, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
Caroline Brooks, aged 16, a sempstress, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
Maryanne Brooks, aged 10, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgeway" in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brooks migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19

Brooks Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. William Brooks, (b. 1610), aged 25, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 20

Contemporary Notables of the name Brooks (post 1700) +

Lawrence Mel Brooks (1950-2025), American ice hockey journalist for the New York Post, covering the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League
Lucile Brooks (b. 1905), née McGhee, American corporal in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
Frederick Phillips "Fred" Brooks Jr. (1931-2022), American computer architect, software engineer, and computer scientist, best known for managing the development of IBM's System/360 family of computers and the OS/360 software support package, awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1985 and the Turing Award in 1999
Samuel McClenahen Brooks, American actor, known for Neck Deep (2020)
Lawrence Brooks (1909-2022), American veteran of the United States Army, supercentenarian from New Orleans, Louisiana, he was the oldest known American World War II veteran
Mike Brooks (1955-2021), American television news correspondent for CNN
Rayshard Brooks (d. 2020), American man shot and killed by an Atlanta Police Department officer who was investigating a complaint about a man asleep in a car
Andrew Brooks (1970-2021), American researcher who led development of the first FDA-approved Covid-19 saliva test
Michael Jamal Brooks (1983-2020), American talk show host, writer, and political commentator
... (Another 287 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Brooks family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mr. Gordon Barrett Brooks (1959-1979), New Zealander Flight Engineer, from Auckland, New Zealand working aboard the Air New Zealand sightseeing Flight 901 when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 21
Ms. Geraldine Kay Brooks (d. 1979), New Zealander passenger, from Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 22
Miss Dorothy Caroline Brooks (1906-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 22
Mrs. Henrietta Brooks (1880-1914), née Westwood Canadian Third Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland 23
Mr. Frank Percy Brooks (1884-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who survived the sinking on the Empress of Ireland 23
... (Another 24 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Brooks Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Perseverando
Motto Translation: By persevering.

Sources +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
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/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html