The Brink surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,982 people carried this name — #2,989 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 24,600 people counted. That is up 3% from 11,638 in 2000.

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In Poland’s population register

61 people named Brink have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 88 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 5 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Greater Poland 29
Lower Silesian 12
Warmian-Masurian 10
West Pomeranian 7
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 3

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

41 people named Brink live in Switzerland.

They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 22
Solothurn 7
Thurgau 5
Zug 4
Vaud 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

2,084 people named Brink are counted in Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 2,027
Finland (2026) 57

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Brink in American newspapers,
1930.

Newspaper page from Western News And The Libby Times carrying the name Brink
Western News And The Libby Times 1930-07-10
Newspaper page from Western News And The Libby Times carrying the name Brink
Western News And The Libby Times 1930-10-30
Newspaper page from Western News And The Libby Times carrying the name Brink
Western News And The Libby Times 1930-07-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,449 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Brink in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

2,953 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Brink. The most, 465, date from the 1900s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 823
Victoria 700
South Australia 597
Queensland 540
Western Australia 152
Tasmania 94
ACT (Canberra) 26
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Brink.

Who carried it

People named Brink,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Jan ten Brink
    Jan ten Brink 1834–1901 · writer
  • Carl Brink
    Carl Brink 1844–1926
  • Abraham Brink 1763–1822 · sea captain
  • Abraham Brink 1766–1822 · sea captain
  • Willem Jacob Brink 1783–1833 · military officer of healthcare
  • Joshua Brink 1788–1878

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Brink,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,436 records

1,436 records of the Brink name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 402
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 385
  • Other U.S. records 649
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Edward P. Brink

    Born 1923 in Michigan. Enlisted 1943 at Kalamazoo; packer from Kalamazoo County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1992, buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery, Michigan.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Caroline Brink

    Arrived at Baltimore in 1862 aboard the Neptune from Bremen, aged 36; farmer. From Unterlippe, Germany; bound for Indiana.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Richard Brink

    Born 1944; from Sacramento, California. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1966 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,436 records for Brink in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Netherlands19,111 records

19,111 records of the Brink name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 12,501
  • Dutch population registers 5,885
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 725
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Gerritje Brink

    Married in 1871 in Renkum; maidservant. Died 1933 in Oosterbeek, aged 91.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johannes Jozephus Theodorus Brink

    Married in 1920 in Westwoud; draper. Died 1939 in Bennebroek, aged 61.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Roelof Brink

    Married in 1820 in Oldebroek; labourer, born 1797 in Zalk (Kampen). Died 1874 in Ijsselmuiden, aged 76.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19,111 records for Brink in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Germany481 records

481 records of the Brink name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 480
  • German emigration and citizenship files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Robert Brink

    Born 1882; from Ballenstedt, Dessau. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 13 April 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 368).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Friedrich Heinrich Brink

    Emigrated to North America in 1847.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hans Brink

    Born 1890; from Hanover. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 31 August 1916 (Guard Reserve Regiment No. 1).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 481 records for Brink in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Australia29 records

29 records of the Brink name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 11
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 8
  • Other Australian records 10
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mauritz O. Brink

    Arrived in Queensland in 1900 aboard the Ormuz, as an infant.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Frederick Brink

    Former farmer of East Brunswick, Victoria; died 1935.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mathilda Brink

    Arrived in Victoria in 1900 aboard the Ormuz, aged 24.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 29 records for Brink in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada10 records

10 records of the Brink name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 4
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Other Canadian records 4
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Eldora Clementine Brink

    Buried in 1996 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 70.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ellen Julia Brink

    Died 1959; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 2 of 10 records for Brink in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

France5 records

5 records of the Brink name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Albert Lucas Brink

    Born 1911 in the Netherlands; died 1995 in Barjac (Gard).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marianne Emma Brink

    Born 1937 in Germany; died 2001 in Beblenheim (Haut-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Brink in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Norway4 records

4 records of the Brink name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Georg Brink

    Census of 1910: Tveiter (gaard), Vaaler; farm labourer, born 1882 in Fredrikshald.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Julianne Brink

    Census of 1910: Fevik, Fjære; of independent means, born 1826 in Fjære.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Brink in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Brink name in the United Kingdom Scottish rolls of honour, First World War
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Johannes Hieronymus Brink

    Born 1893. Died 1917. Named in the University of Edinburgh roll of honour, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Johannes H. Brink

    Served in the First World War. Named in the roll of honour of New Year 1915.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Brink in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Finland2 records

2 records of the Brink name in Finland Finland's war dead, 1939–1945
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Evert Hilding Brink

    Born 1918 in Kemiö; farm labourer. Died in 1940 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Kemiö.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Brink in Finland.

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Brink.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Brink is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Brink volume
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