Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
Study: Brooks
Variants: Brook, Brooke, Brookes
Category: 1 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is in its early stages.
Website: www.brooksfamilyhistory.co.uk
DNA website: www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?Group=Brooks
Contact: Mr Nigel Brooks
At present I and many BROOKS researchers worldwide have their own private and personal collections of data which are not accessible to all and I feel many of us are missing valuable opportunities to gain insight into our common surname and find any missing connections.
I hope to encourage everyone to share any information they have and all work together, as the Surname is very popular it is also a good chance to see how many distinct branches we can find using YDNA analysis.
My early research shows the name of BROOKS or a spelling form of it has in many instances being in continuous use since many Parish Records began in the mid 1500's. It is very Rare for the surname of BROOKS to change to BROOK but I have found instances of this - it is very common after the 1841 Census to find families with the name of BROOK to change to BROOKS especially those who emigrated.
In the 13th Century there are many uses of the name of BROK, BROKE, BROCK & BROCKE - by the time of the 16th Century many Parish Registers have the name as BRUCKS by the 17th Century BROOKS & BROOKES are the in regular use, the name of BROOKS is now more popular than BROOK - the One-Name Study is now finding many instances of the name change from BROOK - BROOKS as late as the early 19th century.
In Scotland we have found the name of BROKIE being used for a BROOKS family, so consider names as BROCKIE, BROOCKIE, BROKIE & BROOKIE if looking for dead ends in Scotland.
If anyone can send me images they have for early forms of Brooks I will be very grateful.
Other early spelling versions I have seen are BRUX & BRUCKS I have seen BROCES in 1365 but wonder if this is a form of BRUCE.
BROOK = 11,643 Instances & BROOKE 4,486 Instances.
Currently BROOK is more prevalent in England and 30, 698 people using the SURNAME Worldwide.
BROOKE is more prevalent in the United States and 21,963 using the SURNAME Worldwide.
BROOKES is more prevalent in England and 33,409 using the SURNAME Worldwide.
BROOKS is more prevalent in the United States and 446,853 using the SURNAME WORLDWIDE
The name overall in history is more commonly found in YORKSHIRE.
Vermont in the United States has the highest frequency of the BROOKS name any where in the World. Tasmania has the Highest Frequency for the Australian Region and in the United Kingdom Nottingham in the East Midlands has the highest frequency.
The aim is to find and link to Genetic Cousins that otherwise would not be found via traditional research methods when you hit that BRICK WALL - a DNA match could and does open up new avenues of research and many have successfully used this method finding lost or unknown branches of their tree.
The BROOKS SURNAME DNA PROJECT is expanding all the time and is becoming one of the largest Single Surname DNA Projects available I would like to see more tests from the British Isles it is also a good way of finding out your Deep Ancestral Roots, SAXON - VIKING - CELT for example. We now have tests from descendants living today in AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ENGLAND, INDIA, IRELAND, NEW ZEALAND, PAKISTAN, SCOTLAND, SOUTH AFRICA, USA, WALES.
YDNA & BIGY are the two main goals for our Surnames research - in the study we have one very large Cluster of BROOK, BROOKE & BROOKES men who all trace to one common ancestor who lived in the 1400's other estimations show they may have shared the same Surname or variation since before this time period and may have been in use since 1066 or very shortly after this period.
2021 VIA YDNA & BIGY alone we have nearly 500 men forming their own individual clusters - from 2019 new members are now more likely to find a genetic relative and match a cluster already formed and their own goals are to try and join up the missing links or at least see who and where the common ancestors came from.
PLEASE NOTE: A big interest in Autosomal DNA testing also known as Family Finder tests at FTDNA & MyHeritage & Ancestry DNA Test @ Ancestry, it is a good add on test but is not a substitute for YDNA / BIGY testing AT DNA testing has limitations and in most cases will not tell you which direct MALE line you come from... We have many instances of this at the project at FTDNA where the AT DNA matches either can not be seen because the match is too far away or we see AT DNA matches from other HAPLOGROUPS and you would not know how you were related unless very closely.
For anyone testing at MyHeritage & Ancestry do not forget you can upload your data to FTDNA and join the project FREE of Charge.
For people in need who can not afford YDNA testing we can in limited cases offer FREE YDNA tests to BROOK, BROOKE, BROOKES & BROOKS men with a proven family tree.