The word brook derives from the Old English broc and appears in the Medieval predecessors of Brooks (Ate-Broc and Atte-Broc). The surname arrived in North America from England in the mid-seventeenth century.
The surname Brooks is recorded in Ireland from the 1600s. O'Laughlin reports that "some of the name could stem from Irish origins, the name being changed into the English word 'Brook' or Brooks." The surname is also found among English-speaking Ashkenazi Jews, deriving from the male Hebrew given name Boruch ("blessed").
A A. Brooks (Middlesex cricketer) (born ), English cricketer Aaron Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Abraham Brooks (1852–1925), English cricketer Adam Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Adrian Brooks (born 1957), English soccer player Ahmad Brooks (born 1984), American football player Ahmad D. Brooks (born 1980), American football player and sports broadcaster Aimee Brooks (born 1974), American actress Albert Brooks (born 1947), American actor, comedian, and director Alden Brooks (1882–1964), American writer Alex Brooks (born 1976), American ice hockey player Alexandra Brooks (born 1995), English footballer Alfred Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Alison Brooks (born 1962), Canadian architect Allan Brooks (1869–1946), Canadian ornithologist and bird artist Allette Brooks (fl. 1996–2001), American folk singer Allison Brooks (1917–2006), American aviator Alvin Brooks (basketball, born 1959), American basketball coach Alvin Brooks III, American basketball coach Amanda Brooks (born 1981), American actress Amber Brooks (born 1991), American soccer player Ameal Brooks (1904–1971), American baseball player Andy Brooks, British Communist leader Angel Brooks, character on the Australian soap opera Home and Away Angela Brooks, American architect, partner in Brooks + Scarpa Angelle Brooks (born 1967), American actress Angie Brooks (1928–2007), Liberian diplomat and jurist Annabel Brooks (born 1962), British actress Anne Brooks (born 1938), American physician and nun Anne Rose Brooks (born 1963), American actress Anthony Brooks (1922–2007), British undercover agent Anthony Michael Brooks (born 1993), American speedcuber Antoine Brooks (born 1997), American football player April Brooks, real name of wrestler AJ Lee Archie Brooks, fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale Art Brooks, see Arthur Brooks (disambiguation) Arthur Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Audrey Brooks (1933–2018), British botanist Avery Brooks (born 1948), American actor
B Barney Brooks (1884–1952), American physician Barrett Brooks (born 1972), American football player Barry Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Beau Brooks, member of The Janoskians Ben Brooks, see Benjamin Brooks (disambiguation) Benjamin Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Berry Boswell Brooks (1902–1976), American cotton broker and big-game hunter Bert Brooks (1920–1968), Canadian race car driver Beverley Brooks (1929–1992), stage name of British actress Pamela Harmsworth, Viscountess Rothermere Bill Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Billy Brooks (born 1953), American football player Bob or Bobby Brooks, see Robert Brooks (disambiguation) Bonnie Brooks (born 1953), Canadian department store executive Bradley Brooks (born 2000), darts player Brandon Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Brendan Brooks (born 1978), Canadian ice hockey player British Brooks (born 1999), American football player Brittany Brooks (born 1985), American musician Bruce Brooks (born 1950), American author Bryant Butler Brooks (1861–1944), American politician Bubba Brooks (1922–2002), American saxophonist Bucky Brooks (born 1971), American sportswriter Bud Brooks (1930–2005), American football player
C Caroline Shawk Brooks (1840–1913), American sculptor Cat Brooks, American activist Cecil Brooks III (born 1959), American jazz drummer Cecil Joslin Brooks (1875–1953), British metallurgical chemist and naturalist Cedric Brooks (1943–2013), Jamaican saxophonist and flautist Chandler McCuskey Brooks (1905–1989), American physiologist Charles Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Charlie Brooks (born 1981), Welsh actress Charlie Brooks (racehorse trainer) (born 1963), British racehorse trainer Charlotte Brooks (1918–2014), American photojournalist Charmaine Brooks (born 1970), Canadian singer-songwriter Chase Brooks, American soccer player and coach Cherryl Brooks, fictional character from Atlas Shrugged Chet Brooks (1966–2026), American football player Chris Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Clifford Cleveland Brooks, American politician Cindy Brooks (model) (born 1951), American model and actress Cindy Brooks (rower) (born 1965), American rower Claire Brooks (1931–2008), British politician Cleanth Brooks (1906–1994), American literary critic Clifford Brooks (born 1949), American football player Clive Brooks (1949–2017), English drummer Coby G. Brooks (born 1969), American businessman Colin Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Collin Brooks (1893–1959), British journalist, writer and broadcaster Conrad Brooks (1931–2017), American actor Corey Brooks (1896–1944), American politician Corrin Brooks-Meade (1988–2025), English-born Montserratian footballer Curtis Brooks (born 1998), American football player Constance "Connie" Brooks (see Our Miss Brooks), fictional English language teacher
D D. W. Brooks (1901–1969), American farmer and businessman Dallas Brooks (1896–1966), Australian general and politician Dalton Brooks (born 2004), American football player Daniel Brooks, American clothier, one of the Brooks Brothers Daniel Brooks (1958–2023), Canadian theatre director, actor and playwright Danny Brooks (born 1951), Canadian blues musician Darin Brooks (born 1984), American actor Darren Brooks (born 1982), American basketball player David Brooks (commentator) (born 1961), American journalist, commentator, editor David Brooks (inventor), American inventor David Brooks (American politician) (1756–1838), American politician David Brooks (rugby union) (1924–2002), British Lions & England international rugby union player
David Brooks (rugby league) (born 1962), Australian rugby league footballer David Brooks (actor) (1915–1999), American actor David Brooks (ice hockey) (born 1939), American retired ice hockey player
David Brooks (artist) (born 1975), American artist
David Brooks (Northern Irish politician), British politician, Democratic Unionist party member David H. M. Brooks (1950–1996), South African philosopher
Dean Brooks (1916–2013), American physician and actor Deanna Brooks (born 1974), American model Delray Brooks (born 1965), American basketball player and coach De'Mon Brooks, (born 1992), American basketball player Derreck Brooks (born 1994), American basketball player Derrick Brooks (born 1973), American football player Derrius Brooks (born 1988), American football player Desley Brooks, American politician Dianne Brooks (1939–2005), American jazz singer Dick or Dickie Brooks, see Richard Brooks (disambiguation) Dillon Brooks (born 1996), Canadian basketball player Dolores "LaLa" Brooks (born 1947), member of girl group The Crystals Don Frank Brooks (1947–2000), American blues harmonica player Donald Brooks (1928–2005), American fashion designer Donnie Brooks (1936–2007), American pop music singer Douglas Jackson Brooks (born 1956), American country music singer, known as Doug Stone Dudley Brooks (1913–1989), American jazz pianist Durant Brooks (born 1985), American football player Dustin Brooks, from Power Rangers Ninja Storm Dustin Brooks, from Zoey 101 Duwayne Brooks (born 1974), English politician
E Earl Brooks (1929–2010), American race car driver Earl Brooks, title character of the film Mr. Brooks Ed Brooks, see Edward Brooks (disambiguation) Edgar Brooks (1914–1986), English rugby league footballer Edmund Wright Brooks (1834–1928), English Quaker philanthropist and cement maker Edward Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Edwin Brooks (born 1929), British-Australian politician and academic Edwin B. Brooks (1868–1933), American politician Edwy Searles Brooks (1889–1965), British novelist Elbridge Streeter Brooks (1846–1902), American author, editor and critic Elisabeth Brooks (1951–1997), Canadian actress Elisha Brooks, American clothier, one of the Brooks Brothers Elizabeth Carter Brooks (1867–1951), American architect, educator and social activist Elkie Brooks (born 1945), British singer Ellen Brooks (born 1946), American photographer Elmore Brooks (1918–1963), American blues guitarist, better known as Elmore James Erastus Brooks (1815–1886), New York newspaper editor and politician Eric Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Ernest Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Errol Brooks (born 1951), Antiguan bishop Ethan Brooks (born 1972), American football player Eugene C. Brooks (1871–1947), American educator
F Farmer Brooks (1957–2022), Canadian wrestler Foster Brooks (1912–2001), American comedian Francis Gerard Brooks (1924–2010), Northern Ireland Roman Catholic bishop Francis K. Brooks (born 1943), American educator and Vermont Democratic politician Frank Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Frank Leonard Brooks (1911–2011), Canadian artist Frankie Brooks, fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away Franklin E. Brooks (1860–1916), American Republican politician Frederick Brooks (disambiguation), also includes Fred and Freddie Brooks
G Gabriel Brooks (1704–1741), English calligrapher Gabrielle Brooks (born 1990), English actress Gareth Brooks (born 1979), New Zealand field hockey player Garrison Brooks (born 1999), American basketball player Garth Brooks (born 1962), American country musician Gary Brooks (born 1980), Jamaican football player Gene Edward Brooks (1931–2004), American judge George Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Georgia Brooks, fictional character from the soap opera Neighbours Gerald Brooks (1905–1974), Belizean bishop Geraldine Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Glenn Brooks, Canadian politician Golden Brooks (born 1970), American actress Gordon Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Greg Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Gregory Brooks, American poker player Guy Brooks, American fiddle player Gwendolyn Brooks, (1917–2000), American poet
H H. Allen Brooks (1925–2010), American architectural historian H. H. Brooks, co-founder of the Herff-Brooks Corporation Hadda Brooks, American pianist Halbert W. Brooks (born 1985), American politician Hannibal Brooks, fictional character from the film of the same name Harold Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Harriet Brooks (1876–1933), Canadian physicist Harry Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Harvey Brooks (bassist) (born 1944), American bassist Harvey Brooks (physicist) (1915–2004), American physicist Harvey Oliver Brooks (1899–1968), American pianist and composer Hazel Brooks (1924–2002), American actress Helen Brooks, pseudonym of British novelist Rita Bradshaw Hellen M. Brooks (1862–1931), American educator and politician Henderson Brooks, Indian general, co-author of the Henderson Brooks–Bhagat Report Henry Brooks (disambiguation), multiple people Herb Brooks (1937–2003), American ice hockey coach Hillery Brooks, American planter, for whom Brooks, Georgia, was named Holly Brooks (born 1982), American skier Holly Brooks, fictional character on the TV show Malcolm & Eddie Horace Brooks (1814–1894), American army officer Horatio G. Brooks (1828–1887), American rail engineer Hubert Brooks (1921–1984), Canadian air force officer and hockey player Hubie Brooks (born 1956), American baseball player
I Ian James Brooks (1928–2022), New Zealand politician Irvin Brooks (1891–1966), American baseball player
J