Entry № 964 · English origin

Brooklyn Brooklyn — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ BROOK-lin /
Gender
Girl
Origin
English
Meaning
"Broken land, beautiful brook"
Syllables
2
Rank · US 2025
№ 78
First recorded
Modern as given name

A name that means "broken land, beautiful brook".

Brooklyn comes from the New York borough — and the borough was named after the Dutch town of Breukelen, meaning "broken land" or "marshy land," reflecting the wet terrain of original colonial Brooklyn. The name is now far better known as a place name than as a geographic descriptor.

Brooklyn entered the U.S. top 1000 as a girl's name in 1990 and rose rapidly into the top 50. It belongs to the modern wave of place-name first names (Brooklyn, Madison, Savannah, Aspen, Tennessee), each carrying its own American resonance.

A New York borough by way of Dutch "marshy land." A modern American name with deep roots.

The name in its native script.

Brooklyn
Transliteration
Brooklyn
Pronunciation
/ ˈbrʊk.lɪn /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Brooklyn stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 78 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 21 in 2011
Babies named Brooklyn · last year
3247 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
1990
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · №21 NOW · №78

Brooklyns before her.

Real people
Brooklyn Decker
American model and actress.
born 1987
Brooklyn Beckham
British photographer, son of David and Victoria Beckham.
born 1999
In fiction
Brooklyn
Common contemporary character name.

Names connected to Brooklyn.

The number behind Brooklyn.

4

The Builder

Brooklyn reduces to four — the number of urban grit and quiet stability.

Why families chose this name.

"We met in Brooklyn. The name was waiting for her."
Sarah · Mother of one · Brooklyn