Brooks is an English masculine given name that originated as a Brook variant. The surname Brook referred to someone who lived near a stream or brook. The move to a given name fits historical English naming trends—surnames lauding landscapes turned into given names. According to the 20th century, this has become a relatively widespread name in English-speaking countries, belonging mostly to males, but from time to time applied to females.Notable BearersMany persons through the years have championed this name: Brooks Atkinson (1894–1984), American theatre criticBrooks Robinson (1937–), Hall-of-Fame baseball third basemanBrooks Koepka (1990–), American professional golfer with multiple major championshipsBrooks Laich (1983–), former professional ice hockey star in the NHLBrooks Ayers (1978–), oncologist famous for starring in The Real Housewives of Orange CountyFunctional SummaryMeaning: dwells near a brook (from the topographic surname Brooks/Brook)Origin: English given name, finalists from 1600–today as changed pre-American surnamesType: Traditionally masculine, with contemporary versions being unisexUsage: Overwhelmingly in English-speaking nations—United States, Canada, UK, Australia. Additional use in public life, sports’ figures, journalism students teach it brand-new view of strong choice as emerging top given namedom.