Brooks
Meaningby the brooks · English
- US rank
- #64
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #64 in 2025
4,877 babies were named Brooks in the US in 2025. It has climbed 28 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1915–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Brooks you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Brooks
Brooks Orpik
American ice hockey player
Choose Brooks and your child shares a first name with Brooks Orpik, an American ice hockey player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Brooks, like who?” Brooks Orpik's Wikipedia article is available in 20 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Brooks Orpik on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 350 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Brooks, 4,877 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Brooks.
- HistoryBrooks has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Brookss, and counting.
- Best yearBrooks is at its all-time high right now: #64 in 2025.
- Then vs nowBrooks is 23× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 7,918 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 350.
- TrendBrooks has climbed 28 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #64. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedBrooks is most popular in Utah, where it ranks #10, followed by Nebraska (#11) and South Dakota (#12). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn English, Brooks means “by the brooks”.
About the name Brooks
Brooks is a boy name of English origin meaning “by the brooks”. It has 6 letters and 1 syllable, starting with B and ending in “-oks”. US birth records list Brooks for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 143 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2025, when it ranked #64 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #64, with 4,877 babies.
Origin:English names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 2.1 | 467,290 girls |
| 1920s | 0.6 | 1,724,138 girls |
| 1940s | 1.8 | 546,448 girls |
| 1950s | 4.2 | 238,095 girls |
| 1960s | 5.3 | 189,036 girls |
| 1970s | 10 | 95,694 girls |
| 1980s | 19 | 54,025 girls |
| 1990s | 9.1 | 110,254 girls |
| 2000s | 6.2 | 160,256 girls |
| 2010s | 17 | 60,314 girls |
| 2020s | 44 | 22,762 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 48 | 20,921 boys |
| 1890s | 73 | 13,751 boys |
| 1900s | 96 | 10,406 boys |
| 1910s | 73 | 13,793 boys |
| 1920s | 59 | 17,059 boys |
| 1930s | 52 | 19,361 boys |
| 1940s | 47 | 21,057 boys |
| 1950s | 48 | 20,738 boys |
| 1960s | 58 | 17,203 boys |
| 1970s | 84 | 11,893 boys |
| 1980s | 154 | 6,494 boys |
| 1990s | 122 | 8,189 boys |
| 2000s | 176 | 5,680 boys |
| 2010s | 873 | 1,145 boys |
| 2020s | 2,590 | 386 boys |
More English boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: William · resolute protector
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Hudson · son of Hudde
- Unisex name: Julian · of the Julius family
Questions about the name Brooks
What does the name Brooks mean?
Brooks means “by the brooks” in English.
What is the origin of the name Brooks?
Brooks has English roots in our records. Other English names include Oliver, Henry, James.
Is Brooks a boy or girl name?
Brooks is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Brooks?
Brooks ranked #64 for US boys in 2025, given to 4,877 babies. Its best year was 2025 (#64).