How to say it
BROOKS
brʊks
Masculine
Brooks
Of the brook
What it means
English surname for someone who lived near a brook, from Old English brōc ('stream'). The plural form (brooks) signals a person who lived near multiple streams or a marshy area.
Brooks is an English surname from brōc ('brook, stream'), used for someone who lived near streams. The plural form may indicate marshy or stream-veined country. The first-name use is modern American, surging from the 2010s as part of the masculine surname-first wave. Garth Brooks gave it country-music currency; Brooks Robinson the Hall of Fame third baseman gave it baseball roots. Single syllable, no nickname.
How to spell Brooks
The standard spelling is Brooks. Common variants include Brook, but Brooks is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #64 in 2025, currently #64 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Garth Brooks (the country singer) and Mel Brooks (the comic filmmaker) are both surname Brooks, but the first-name Brooks has its own modern American anchor in Southern families.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Brooks Robinson Baltimore Orioles third baseman, Hall of Fame, 1955-1977
- Garth Brooks American country singer (Brooks as surname)
Spelling variants
- Brook
Names with the same feeling
See Brooks from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Brooks mean?
- English surname for someone who lived near a brook, from Old English brōc ('stream'). The plural form (brooks) signals a person who lived near multiple streams or a marshy area.
- What does Brooks mean in Old English?
- In Old English, Brooks means "Of the brook." Brooks is an English surname from brōc ('brook, stream'), used for someone who lived near streams. The plural form may indicate marshy or stream-veined country. The first-name use is modern American, surging from the 2010s as part of the masculine surname-first wave. Garth Brooks gave it country-music currency; Brooks Robinson the Hall of Fame third baseman gave it baseball roots. Single syllable, no nickname.
- How do you pronounce Brooks?
- Brooks is pronounced brʊks. Say it as BROOKS, with the stress on the "brooks" syllable.
- How do you spell Brooks?
- The standard spelling is Brooks. Common spelling variants include Brook.
- Is Brooks a boy or girl name?
- Brooks is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Brooks?
- Brooks ranked #64 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.