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At a Glance: Name: Brooklyn – Meaning: marshland (from Dutch broek), via the place name Breukelen – Origin: Dutch (place name) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: BROOK-lin
Brooklyn (pronounced BROOK-lin) comes from the Dutch place name Breukelen, and its root word broek simply means marshland or wetland. You may have come across the claim that Brooklyn means 'broken land' — that's a mistranslation, since Dutch broek refers to marsh, not 'broken.' It's used as a name for any gender, with a straightforward place-name history behind it.
Meaning & Origin of Brooklyn
Meaning: Marshland (from dutch broek), via the place name breukelen.
Origin: Dutch (place name).
A common claim: Brooklyn is popularly said to mean 'broken land.' Actually: This is a mistranslation – Dutch 'broek' means marsh or wetland, not 'broken'; Brooklyn traces to the marshy town of Breukelen, not to 'broken land.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Brooklyn
Phonetic: BROOK-lin IPA: /ˈbrʊklɪn/
Popularity of Brooklyn
Brooklyn hit its peak at #21 in 2011, when 7,178 babies were given the name, and has since settled to #108 in 2024 with 2,487 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data via names_full.json, 1972–2024.
Make Brooklyn Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Brooklyn, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names without a catalog record, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Brooklyn mean?
Marshland (from dutch broek), via the place name breukelen. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Brooklyn)
How do you pronounce Brooklyn?
Brooklyn is pronounced BROOK-lin (IPA: /ˈbrʊklɪn/).
Is Brooklyn a popular name right now?
Brooklyn peaked at #21 in 2011 and is ranked #108 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1972–2024.)
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