Explore the Family Name Brink
The meaning of Brink
1. North German; Danish and Swedish (of German origin): topographic name for someone who lived by a pasture or green, from Middle Low German brinc ‘hill, edge, slope, grazing land’, especially a raised meadow in low-lying marshland. Swedish name is ornamental. 2. Dutch: topographic name for someone who lived by the brink, which is in the central and east Netherlands the name of the common area in the centre of the village, the village square. Compare Vandenbrink.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Brink in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Brink exhibited a slight fall in popularity from 2000 to 2010. Its ranking shifted from 2,819 in 2000 to 2,989 in 2010, marking a decrease of approximately 6.03%. However, the raw count of individuals with this surname increased marginally by 2.96% over the decade, moving from 11,638 in 2000 to 11,982 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of Brinks per 100,000 people dropped by 5.8%, suggesting that while the absolute number of Brinks increased, their representation in relation to the overall population decreased.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,819 | #2,989 | -6.03% |
| Count | 11,638 | 11,982 | 2.96% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.31 | 4.06 | -5.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Brink
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows significant shifts among those carrying the Brink surname between 2000 and 2010. While the majority identified as White (95.22% in 2000 and 93.65% in 2010), there was a slight decrease in this demographic over the decade. Notably, there were substantial increases in the percentages of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, rising by 69.77% and 71.53%, respectively. The percentage of individuals claiming two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native identity also rose, albeit at slower rates. Conversely, there was a 15.38% drop in those identifying as Black over this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.22% | 93.65% | -1.65% |
| Hispanic | 1.37% | 2.35% | 71.53% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.25% | 1.54% | 23.2% |
| Two or More Races | 1.34% | 1.39% | 3.73% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.73% | 69.77% |
| Black | 0.39% | 0.33% | -15.38% |
Brink ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Brink is British & Irish, which comprises 40.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (34.2%) and Scandinavian (7.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 40.5% |
| French & German | 34.2% |
| Scandinavian | 7.0% |
| Other | 18.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Brink
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Brink have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
What Brink haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Brink is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z58 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Funk, Bradshaw, Hoskins, Garland, Ratliff, Randolph, Cope, Landers, Talbott, Rowley.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Brink surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Brink have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Brink" Surname 32.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Brink" Surname 23.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Brink" Surname 23.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Brink" Surname 20.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Brink?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Brink are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition