Brooks

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 Bearers

Many persons through the years have championed this name:

• Brooks Atkinson (1894–1984), American theatre critic
• Brooks Robinson (1937–), Hall-of-Fame baseball third baseman
• Brooks Koepka (1990–), American professional golfer with multiple major championships
• Brooks Laich (1983–), former professional ice hockey star in the NHL
• Brooks Ayers (1978–), oncologist famous for starring in The Real Housewives of Orange County

Functional Summary

• Meaning: dwells near a brook (from the topographic surname Brooks/Brook)
• Origin: English given name, finalists from 1600–today as changed pre-American surnames
• Type: Traditionally masculine, with contemporary versions being unisex
• Usage: 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.