Boy name · Old English
Brooks
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: small streamsBrooks is a boy's name that comes from Old English and means "small streams". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Small streams
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #64 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Brooks
As a boy's name, Brooks comes from Old English and means "small streams". It is used in English.
Brooks is also a surname: the 85th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 244,116 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Brooks on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Brooks on 4 lists.
“Means small streams; calm and steady”
From Redneck names for boys, outdoorsy country boy names
“Small streams; English. Soft surname with a nature feel”
From Boy middle names, nature middle names for boys
“Small streams; Old English, a surname that sounds like a stroll”
From Cute boy names, cute nature names for boys
“For someone living by a brook or stream”
From Pretty last names, beautiful last names from nature
How popular is Brooks?
- US rank in 2025
- #64
- 4,877 babies, 2,855 per million boys
- Best rank
- #64 in 2025
- 4,877 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 57,946
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 48 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 73 per million |
| 1900s | 95 per million |
| 1910s | 73 per million |
| 1920s | 59 per million |
| 1930s | 52 per million |
| 1940s | 47 per million |
| 1950s | 48 per million |
| 1960s | 58 per million |
| 1970s | 84 per million |
| 1980s | 153 per million |
| 1990s | 122 per million |
| 2000s | 177 per million |
| 2010s | 864 per million |
| 2020s | 2,589 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #233 | #204 | #161 | #110 | #92 | #78 | #77 | #73 | #67 | #64 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Brooks
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- BrockBadger (Old English, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- PaulSmall, humble (Latin, boy)
- PaulinaSmall (Latin, girl)
- PaulaSmall, humble (Latin, girl)
- PaulineSmall, humble (Latin, girl)
- PaolaSmall, humble (Latin, girl)
- AdvaSmall ripple (Hebrew, girl)
- BrookeSmall stream (Old English, girl)
- DiyaSmall oil lamp (Hindi, girl)
- Jean-PaulGod is gracious, plus small (Hebrew and Latin, boy)
- José PabloHe will add, small (Hebrew and Latin, boy)
Middle names for Brooks
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
Brooks: common questions
What does the name Brooks mean?
Brooks comes from Old English and means "small streams".
Is Brooks a boy or girl name?
Brooks is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 88 girls and 4,877 boys in the US were named Brooks, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Brooks come from?
Brooks comes from Old English and means "small streams". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Brooks?
Brooks ranked #64 in the US in 2025, with 4,877 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Brooks?
Names spelled like Brooks include Brock.
What middle names go with Brooks?
Middle names that flow well with Brooks include David, Ethan, Hugh, Jack and Mark. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.