About Surnames?

Question

Is the last name "Brooks" English? I've been trying to find out but no luck. Also What would the last name "Plummer" be would it be Scottish or something i don't know any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I believe they are both English surnames.

Answer 2

Surname: Brooks

This is an ancient surname of Germanic (Anglo-Saxon) and Olde English pre 7th century origins. Widely recorded in Germany, where it is sometimes found with the aristocratic "von", England, Scotland and Ireland, it has several possible origins. The name can be residential from one of the many places called Brook or Broke both in England and Germany, or it can be a topographical for somebody who lived by a 'broc'. In Germany this appears to refer to a rocky area but in Britain, it is clearly associated with water, being either a stream or an area of land which flooded in winter time. The very earliest surviving registers are English, and examples from these include what are clearly residential names,William de la Broke of the county of Surrey in the year1208; and Emma de Brokes in Suffolk in 1220. The first recording in Germany is probably that of Johann Broker of Kiel in 1367, and in Scotland Thomas Bruke, a burgess of Aberdeen, in 1483, where the namne has some popularity. Other recordings include Johann Brokes of Lubeck, germany in 1588, and Catherine Brooks, who married Nicholas Thompson by civil licence in London on August 23rd 1594. The surname was one of the first into the New England colonies of America, Cutberd Brooks being recorded as 'dead in Virginea' on February 16th 1623! An interesting recording taken from the Port of New York entry lists, is that of Edward Brooks, aged 18 yrs., a refugee from the 'Potato Famine', who sailed from Ireland on the ship "Ashburton" on March 7th 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Eustace del Broc, which was dated 1130, in the "Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire", during the reign of King Henry 1, known as "The Lion of Justice", 1100 - 1135.

Surname: Plummer

This unusual and interesting name is a regional (West Midlands) variant form of the more familiar name Plummer, which itself has three possible origins. The first of these is a topographical name for someone who lived near a plum tree, derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century "plume", plum (tree). Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names in the small communities of the Middle Ages. The second possible origin is from an early medieval occupational name for a dealer in feathers, from an agent derivative of the Olde English "plume", meaning feather. The third source is of Norman origin, and is another occupational name, this time for a lead-worker, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, a plumber. The derivation here is from the Anglo-Norman French "plom(m)er" or "plum(m)er", from "plom(b)" or "plum(b)", lead. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. Jane Plimmer was christened on September 6th 1642, at the Church of Holy Trinity the Less, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Godric Plumberre, which was dated 1102 - 1107, in the "Pipe Rolls of Huntingdonshire", during the reign of King Henry 1, known as "The Lion of Justice", 1100 - 1135. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

yep...there both english

Answer 4

This is from ancestry.com:

Plummer:

occupational name for a worker in lead, especially a maker of lead pipes and conduits, from Anglo-Norman French plom(m)er, plum(m)er ‘plumber’, from plom(b), plum(b) ‘lead’ (Latin plumbum).

variant of Plumer 1, 3.

occasionally, a habitational name from a minor place name, such as Plummers in Kimpton, Hertfordshire, which was named with Old English plum ‘plum(tree)’ + mere ‘pool’. The name is also established in Ireland, taken there from England in the 17th century