Banks is an English toponymic surname for people who lived near hillsides or riverbanks. In Ireland, it is also an Anglicized form of the Irish patronym Ò Bruacháin (descendant of Bruachán), where Bruachán was a nickname for a potbellied person, which got confused with the word bruach (bank). Notable people and fictional characters with the surname include:
Sports Adrian Banks (born 1986), American basketball player Alan Banks (rugby league) (born c. 1965), rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 1990s Antonio Banks (American football) (born 1973), defensive back Brad Banks (born 1980), American football player Caleb Banks (born 2001), American football player Carl Banks (born 1962), American football player Charlie Banks (rugby league) (1923–2016), Scottish-born Australian rugby league player Carrie Banks, American basketball player and coach Chip Banks (born 1959), American football player Denis Banks (born 1959), Australian rules footballer Deonte Banks (born 2001), American football player Eric Banks (American football) (born 1998), American football player Ernie Banks (1931–2015), American baseball player Gordon Banks (1937–2019), English football goalkeeper Henry Banks (1914–1994), American racing driver Jahmal Banks (born 2001), American football player James Banks III (born 1998), American basketball player Jeremy Banks (born 1999), American football player Johnathon Banks (born 1982), American boxer Kelvin Banks Jr. (born 2004), American football player Kenny Banks (1923–1994), English footballer Keshawn Banks (born 1999), American football player M. B. Banks (1883–1970), American football and basketball player and football, basketball and baseball coach Marcus Banks (born 1981), American basketball player Maud Banks (born 1879 – n.d.), American tennis player Maurice Banks (American football) (born 1983), American football coach Omari Banks (born 1982), West Indian cricketer Percy Banks (1885–1915), English cricketer Sasha Banks (born 1992), stage/ring name for professional wrestler Mercedes Kaestner-Varnado Sean Banks (born 1985), American basketball player Sevyn Banks (born 1999), American football player Shad Banks Jr. (born 2003), American football player Sonny Banks (1940–1965), American boxer Steve Banks (footballer) (born 1972), English football goalkeeper Tavian Banks (born 1974), American footballer Tom Banks (American football) (born 1948), American footballer Tommy Banks (footballer) (1929–2024), English footballer (Bolton Wanderers) Tony Banks (American football) (born 1973), American football quarterback Vic Banks (1889–1972), rugby league footballer from New Zealander of the 1910s Willie Banks (born 1956), American track athlete Willie Banks (baseball) (born 1969), American baseball player Yam Banks (born 2002), American football player Zach Banks (born 1997), American race car driver
Politics Caleb Banks (politician) (1659–1696), English politician, member of the House of Commons Charles Arthur Banks (1885–1961), Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Dennis Banks (1932–2017), Native American activist and writer Gladys E. Banks (1897–1972), New York politician Gordon Banks (politician) (born 1955), British politician Hal C. Banks (1909–1985), Canadian labour leader Jim Banks (born 1979), American Congressman representing Indiana John Banks (New Zealand politician) (born 1946), Mayor of Auckland, New Zealand J. B. Banks (1924–2003), American politician Laurence H. Banks (1897–1972), American politician Nathaniel P. Banks (1816–1894), American politician and Union General during the American Civil War Rosemary Banks (born 1951), New Zealand's ambassador to France Tommy Banks (musician) (1936–2018), Canadian musician and politician Tony Banks, Baron Stratford (1943–2006), British Labour politician Victor Banks (born 1947), Anguillan politician
Arts and entertainment
Writing Carolyn Banks (born 1941), American novelist Emma Dunning Banks (1856–1931), American actress, dramatic reader, teacher, and writer Catherine Banks, Canadian playwright Charles Eugene Banks (1852–1932), American writer and newspaper editor Charles L. Banks (1914–1988), United States Marine Corps general Chris Banks (poet) (born 1970), Canadian poet Enoch Marvin Banks (1877–1911), American historian and educator George Linnaeus Banks (1821–1881), British writer Iain Banks (1954–2013), Scottish novelist Isabella Varley Banks (1821–1897), British novelist (married to George Linnaeus Banks) Leanne Banks (born 1959), American novelist Leslie Esdaile Banks (1959–2011), American novelist Mary Ross Banks (1846–1910), American litterateur and author Michael A. Banks (1951–2023), American science fiction writer Russell Banks (1940–2023), American novelist
Music Aidan Banks, bass guitarist Aimee Banks (born 2002), Irish soprano Ant Banks (born 1969), American rapper Azealia Banks (born 1991), American singer/rapper Bankie Banx (born 1953, birth name Clement Ashley Banks), Anguillan musician Bessie Banks (born 1938), American soul singer Chico Banks (1962–2008), American Chicago blues guitarist and singer Durk Banks (born 1992), American rapper and singer known professionally as Lil Durk Erica Banks (born 1998), American rapper Jillian Banks, American singer, and songwriter known as Banks (born 1988) Larry Banks (1931–1992), American soul singer, songwriter and record producer Lloyd Banks (born 1982), American rapper L.V. Banks (1932–2011), American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Mike Banks (musician), techno musician Ms Banks (born 1994), British rapper Nick Banks (born 1965), British drummer and businessman Paul Banks (American singer) (born 1978), English-American singer and guitarist (Interpol) Paul Banks (English musician) (born 1973), British songwriter and guitarist (Shed Seven, The Rising and Albion) Peter Banks (1947–2013), English guitarist Tony Banks (musician) (born 1950), British songwriter and keyboardist (Genesis)
Film Asha Banks (born 2003), English actress and singer Briana Banks (born 1978), American pornographic actress Elizabeth Banks (born 1974), American actress Jonathan Banks (born 1947), American actor Leslie Banks (1890–1952), British actor and director Lionel Banks (1901–1950), American art director Monty Banks (1887–1950), comedian and film director Morwenna Banks, British actress and comedian Robert Banks (filmmaker) (Robert C. Banks Jr.) (born 1966), American filmmaker Steven Banks, American comedian, actor and screenwriter
Other Darryl Banks, comics artist Doug Banks (1958–2016), American radio personality Lesley Banks (born 1962), British artist Michele Banks, artist Nancy Banks-Smith (born 1929), British television critic Robin Banks (born 1972), radio DJ and TV presenter in the UK Thomas Banks (sculptor) (1735–1805), English sculptor Timothy Banks, American illustrator Violet Banks (1896–1985), Scottish artist
Science and technology Edgar James Banks (1866–1945), American archeologist Edward Banks (naturalist) (1903–1988), British naturalist and museum curator Francis Rodwell Banks (1898–1985), British engineer and fuel specialist Harlan Parker Banks (1913–1998), American paleobotanist James Arthur Banks (1897–1967), British civil engineer Sir Joseph Banks (1743–1820), English naturalist Karen Banks, computer networking expert Kirsten Banks, Australian astrophysicist and science communicator Nathan Banks (1868–1953), American entomologist Richard C. Banks (1931–2021), American ornithologist Robert Banks (chemist) (1921–1989), American research chemist Sarah Gertrude Banks (1839–1926), American physician and suffragist Tom Banks (physicist) (born 1949), American physicist
Other Aaron Banks (disambiguation), multiple people Charles C. Banks (1893–1971), British World War I flying ace David Banks (disambiguation), multiple people Edward Banks (disambiguation), multiple people George Banks (spree killer) (1942–2025), American convicted murderer Heide Banks, psychotherapist, celebrity relationship expert Mary MacLeod Banks (1861–1951), folklorist Mateo Banks (1872–1949), Argentine spree killer Sir Maurice Banks (1901–1991), British businessman Mike Banks (mountaineer) (1922–2013), British mountain climber Nathaniel P. Banks (1816–1894), American Civil War Union general Ridgway Banks, American inventor Tom Banks (disambiguation), multiple people Tyra Banks (born 1973), American supermodel William Mitchell Banks (1842–1904), Scottish surgeon William Banks (barrister) (1719–1763)
Fictional characters Adam Banks, in the film The Mighty Ducks Inspector Alan Banks, in the crime novels of Peter Robinson Charlie Banks (One Life to Live), from the American soap opera One Life to Live Clifford Banks, in the TV series Murder One Rosie M. Banks, a recurring character in stories by author P. G. Wodehouse Alfie Banks, the main protagonist of the graphic adventure game A Golden Wake Tom Banks (EastEnders), from the British soap opera EastEnders Jared Banks, from One Life to Live Joe Banks, title character of the film Joe Versus the Volcano, played by Tom Hanks Natalie Banks, from One Life to Live Victoria Lord Banks, fictional character form One Life to Live Banks, a family on the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The Banks family in Mary Poppins (book series), children's books by P. L. Travers, and the film and musical based upon them
See also Bank (surname) Banksia (disambiguation)
References