Girl · #131 in 2026

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.

  • English
Current Rank
#131
Peak Rank
#21 (2011)
Total Babies
127K
5-Yr Trend
-40%
1972
First Year
2026
Last Year
2011
Peak Year
#21
Peak Rank
127K
Total Count
55
Years Active

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 →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Brooklyn

American parents first put Brooklyn on the record books as a baby girl name in 1972, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 7,178 Brooklyns were born — ranking #21 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 47% of all recorded Brooklyns. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #131 among baby girl names 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

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Brooklyn

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Brooklyn. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

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 (born 2000), 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?
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.
What is the origin of the name Brooklyn?
Brooklyn has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Brooklyn in 2026?
In 2026, Brooklyn ranks #131 among girls' names in the U.S., with 2,177 babies given the name that year.
When was Brooklyn most popular?
Brooklyn reached its peak popularity in 2011, ranking #21 that year with 7,178 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Brooklyn most popular?
Brooklyn has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Utah, Mississippi. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Brooklyn.
Is Brooklyn a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Brooklyn is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Brooklyn?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Brooklyn include Josephine, Ellie, Penelope. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Brooklyn?
Common variants and related forms of Brooklyn include Brooklynn. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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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

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.