This DNA project has been established for individuals with the surname Pembroke or Pembrook.

The Pembroke surname is of Welsh origin, named for a historical settlement (Welsh Penfro) in South Wales. The surname has been established in Ireland since at least the 17th century1.  Because this surname traces back to a place-name, it is possible or even likely that the name was adopted independently by more than one family line.

English marriage and christening records show use of the Pembroke, Pembrook and/or Pembrooke surnames dating back to at least the 1500 and 1600's.  By the 1851 Census of England and Wales, the Counties with the greatest numbers of Pembroke's were Berkshire, Middlesex, and Kent, followed by Suffolk and Wiltshire2.  By the 1901 England and Wales Census, the greatest number of Pembroke's were found in London County (127 individuals), followed by Berkshire (67), Essex (22), Middlesex (21) and Suffolk (19) Counties2.  It appears that many of the Irish Pembroke's came from Counties Kilkenny and Cork, with one genealogical researcher identifying 5 Pembroke families in Kilkenny in the 1840's.

In the United States, early Colonial records show individuals with the Pembroke surname in Massachusetts during the 1600's.  According to "The Pembroke Name in History"2, the majority of Pembroke immigrants to the United States during the period 1820 to 1855 came from Ireland (about 60) and England (about 30). During the 1840's in the United States, the Pembroke surname was found primarily in Maryland, New York and Ohio2.  By the 1860's, some Pembroke families had moved westward in the United States, and during the Civil War, 30 Pembroke's served on the Union side with the greatest number of individuals serving from Illinois, followed by New York and a number of other States (Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Maine), with one Pembroke fighting for the Confederacy2.  By the 1880 Census, the greatest number of Pembroke families were found in Illinois, New York and Maryland, followed by the States of California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas2.  By the 1920 U.S. Census, there were more than 10 Pembroke households in each of the States of Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts, and at least one Pembroke family was found in 23 different States.  During the 2000 U.S. Census, Pembroke families were most common in the States of New York (42 families), California (38), Pennsylvania (25), Massachusetts (22), and Florida (21), and families with the Pembroke surname were found in 40 different States2.

Pembroke's are known to have emigrated to Australia, South Africa, Barbados, and Canada, and likely other locations.  By 1910, there were more than 25 Pembroke households in each of the Canadian Provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Ontario, with Pembroke households also found in Quebec and British Columbia2.

Some Pembroke's from Maryland were slave owners, with at least 17 slaves owned by these Pembroke's in 18602.  The descendants of these slaves may still carry the Pembroke surname.

Initial Y-DNA testing has also identified at least one Pembroke line with Native American ancestry.  It will be interesting to see when this Q halplogroup DNA was introduced into this particular Pembroke family line.

Please keep in mind that only males have Y-chromosomes, so only male Pembrokes/Pembrooks will be tested as part of this Surname project. If you are a female, you can have a male Pembroke/Pembrook relative submit a sample for your line.

To participate meaningfully, we highly encourage participants to trace their direct male line ancestry back to the earliest known male Pembroke/Pembroke.  When you get your results from Family Tree DNA, please enter your paternal pedigree information or upload a gedcom to your results page. This genealogical information will help us sort out the various family lines that share the Pembroke/Pembrook name.

We also encourage members to add your results to Y-Search.  The FTDNA site explains how to do this.

1. Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4  

2. The Pembroke Name in History. 2007. The Generations Network., Inc., North Provo, UT