Tracing Back Time: Unearthing My Brookins Heritage Through iGENEA DNA Test
Family name Brookins
After taking the iGENEA DNA test, I've taken an electrifying journey through my genetic heritage and the history behind my surname, Brookins. Originating from the beautiful landscapes of Northern England, my name stands testimony to the lives and experiences of ancestors from the Anglo-Saxon era, highlighting a deep-rooted connect to settings by brooks and streams.
The results from my iGENEA DNA test have provided eye-opening insights into my heritage and the history of my surname, Brookins. I've discovered remarkable connections tracing back hundreds of years, painting a vibrant picture of my personal ancestry.
Tracing my paternal lineage, the Brookins surname appears to have British origins. It beautifully links me to England and more specifically, to the stunning pastoral landscapes of the Northern Counties. The surname Brookins is thought to have derived from Old English terms like "brōc," or "brook," and the suffix "-ingas," meaning "people of." Thus, Brookins literally translates to "people of the brook," a perfect description of dwellers by a small stream or a brook.
Digging deeper into history, my lineage goes back to the Anglo-Saxon era, a period marking the history of Britain from the 5th to the 11th century. My ancestors likely lived in close-knit communities near brooks or streams, cultivating the surrounding lands. The Anglo-Saxon imprint is more profound as I discovered evidence of Germanic ancestry in my DNA which aligns with the Anglo-Saxon's origins from present-day Denmark and Northern Germany.
On another frontier, my iGENEA test map associated the Brookins family with the historic Roman-British period, indicating a possible co-existence with the Rome-influenced Celtic tribes of Britain. This test unlocked undreamt-of links to the Celts, the indigenous people of the British Isles, whose culture and language persist in distinct corners of the UK.
While it fleshes out an exciting historical narrative, understanding the journey of my surname also shapes my self-identity in a dynamic world of mixed cultures and migrations. It's humbling to comprehend how my surname Brookins has endured countless generations, carrying traces of history from the brook-side Anglo-Saxon societies to the globally scattered Brookins today.
T. Brookins