Holbrook
A locational surname meaning “from Holbrook,” originally referring to a place by a brook or stream.
The #1,502 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 12,949 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Holbrook is a place-name surname built from Old English elements meaning “hollow” or “deep” plus “brook” or “stream.” In other words, it likely referred to a stream running through a hollow place, or a settlement beside such a brook. The surname was taken from one or more places called Holbrook, rather than from a personal nickname.
History
Nineteenth-century surname writers specifically linked Holbrook to places in Suffolk and Derbyshire, and later reference works continued to treat it as a straightforward local surname. As with many English locational names, it could arise independently in more than one county, so unrelated Holbrook families may exist. The spelling Holbrook is now standard, though older variants like Holebrook and Houlbrook are attested.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the same place-name existed in more than one county, the surname could have multiple independent origins in England.
From the historical record
“IIOLBORN. A portion of London. HOLBROOK. A parish in Suflolk, and a chapelry in Derbyshire. HOLCOMBE. Parishes, &c., in cos. Somerset, Lancaster, Oxou, and Devon. HOLD. A fortress, or any thing held out. HOLDEK May be local. See Den ; but from the occurrence of such local names”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom