A Guy Named Brook

Friday, July 16, 2010

Wisconsin 1910 Census

I was entering data into the computer from the Wisconsin, US federal census for 1910 when I thought I came across a guy named Brook.  The last name was difficult to make out, but it looked like Van den.  If that is accurate then his name is Brook Martin Van den.  I double checked the other columns.  He was indeed male.  It got more interesting when I found that he was born in Holland.  The first international tie I had found to the name.

As I was working on this post and looking over the data in the census I happened to wonder if his last name wasn't Van den Brook.  I am now convinced that his name is Martin Van den Brook.  Likely den or der is a conjunction in Dutch likely meaning of.  I think that is common in last names.

I would be interested in more information on this name from people that might have this surname in their genealogy or that have this name as their surname.

4 Comments:

  • those census records sure can be confusing. i've been doing some south dakota state census records from 1945. i sure wish people wrote darker and clearer. you're probably right about "van den" meaning "from the". it makes the most sense.

    By Blogger Ruthykins, At July 16, 2010 at 5:26 PM  

  • My name is Brook too (and I'm a guy), I found your blog by searching "a man named Brook." here's some interesting data about the name we share: http://www.nameplayground.com/Brook

    Personally, I blame Brooke Shields!

    By Anonymous Brook, At July 19, 2010 at 1:52 AM  

  • I agree. Brooke Shields is definitely the major problem.

    Even Ruthykins' sister dropped a Brooke Shields on me when we were young.

    Although the site says that the girl's version was already very popular the year I was born and Brooke Shields was just a wee little girl at the time, who no one knew.

    By Blogger Brook, At July 19, 2010 at 7:50 AM  

  • I blame her for officially knocking Brook boys off the chart and boosting Brook girls. If you look, Brook girls peaked in 1980 when The Blue Lagoon movie hit theaters and during the exact same year Brook boys bottomed completely off the charts. This all happened weeks after I was born. I must be the last Brook boy....

    By Blogger badcomp, At June 29, 2011 at 3:56 AM  

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