Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a unisex first name. It has occasionally been used as a name in honor of Brooklyn, the New York City borough, but is usually regarded as simply a combination of the names Brook or Brooke, a name derived from an English surname meaning "one who lives near a brook" and the suffix -lyn, which is an element in other popular contemporary names in the United States.
Meaning & Origin of Brooklyn
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Brooklyn is a unisex first name. It has occasionally been used as a name in honor of Brooklyn, the New York City borough, but is usually regarded as simply a combination of the names Brook or Brooke, a name derived from an English surname meaning "one who lives near a brook" and the suffix -lyn, which is an element in other popular contemporary names in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Brooklyn
Brooklyn first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1972, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 7,178 Brooklyns were born — ranking #21 that year. As of 2026, Brooklyn ranks #131 for baby girls with 2,177 births, falling sharply (-40%). In total, more than 127K Brooklyns have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Brooklyn
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Brooklyn Beckham (born 1999), English model and amateur photographer
- Brooklyn Decker (born 1987), American model and actress
- Brooklyn Ezeh (born 2001), German association footballer
- Brooklyn Genesini (born 2001), English association footballer
- Brooklyn McKnight (born 1999), American YouTuber
- Brooklyn Moors (born 2001), Canadian artistic gymnast
- Brooklyn Nelson (born c. 2004 ), American actress
- Brooklyn Owen , American LGBTQ activist
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Brooklyn
Phonetically similar names — useful when Brooklyn is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Brooklyn
What does the name Brooklyn mean?
How popular is Brooklyn in 2026?
When was Brooklyn most popular?
In which U.S. states is Brooklyn most popular?
Is Brooklyn a unisex name?
What names go well with Brooklyn?
About the name Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1972 and has accumulated 127K births in the dataset. Brooklyn's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #21. Use the chart and map above to compare Brooklyn's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2011 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.