Meaning of Last Name

Meaning: "residing near a stream or brook"

Brooks is a surname of English origin, that is thought to have been derived from the condition of residing near a stream (or brook). The Hundred Rolls, a late thirteenth century census of England and part of Wales, contains many uses of "Broke" and variants "Brock" and "Brok" as a surname. The word "brook" derives from the Old English "broc" and appears in the Medieval predecessors of "Brooks" such as "Ate-Broc" and "Atte-Broc". The surname is also found among English-speaking Ashkenazi Jews, deriving from the male Hebrew given name Boruch, meaning "blessed", a derivation that may also have contributed to its origins in medieval England and Wales. The surname arrived in North America from England in the mid-seventeenth century. The surname Brooks is shared by many notable people.