Unisex · #12,230 in 2026

Brookes

Brookes is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:Barbara Brookes, New Zealand historian Bruno Brookes, English broadcaster Dennis Brookes, English cricketer Ed Brookes (1881–1958), Irish football player Eric Brookes (1894–1918), British pilot Faye Brookes, British actress Jacqueline Brookes (1930–2013), American actress James Brooks (bishop) or Brookes, English bishop James…

Current Rank
#12,230
Peak Rank
#2,709 (1982)
Total Babies
108
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #6,370 (44 total)
👦 Boy peak #2,709 (108 total)
👦As Boy Name
1979
First Year
2023
Last Year
1982
Peak Year
#2709
Peak Rank
108
Total Count
15
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1979
First Year
1988
Last Year
1982
Peak Year
#6370
Peak Rank
44
Total Count
6
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Brookes

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Brookes is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:Barbara Brookes, New Zealand historian Bruno Brookes, English broadcaster Dennis Brookes, English cricketer Ed Brookes (1881–1958), Irish football player Eric Brookes (1894–1918), British pilot Faye Brookes, British actress Jacqueline Brookes (1930–2013), American actress James Brooks (bishop) or Brookes, English bishop James…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Brookes

As a girl name

The earliest SSA record of Brookes as a girl name dates back to 1979, when 7 babies received it. 1982 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Brookes — #6,370 in the national rankings. About 84% of every Brookes on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Brookes last appeared in the published SSA data in 1988, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 44 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

Brookes first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1979, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1982: 17 births, good for #2,709 nationwide. About 51% of every Brookes on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Brookes last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 108 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Brookes

Phonetically similar names — useful when Brookes is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Brookes

What does the name Brookes mean?
Brookes is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include:Barbara Brookes, New Zealand historian Bruno Brookes, English broadcaster Dennis Brookes, English cricketer Ed Brookes (1881–1958), Irish football player Eric Brookes (1894–1918), British pilot Faye Brookes, British actress Jacqueline Brookes (1930–2013), American actress James Brooks (bishop) or Brookes, English bishop James…
How popular is Brookes in 2026?
In 2026, Brookes ranks #12,230 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Brookes most popular?
Brookes reached its peak popularity in 1982, ranking #2,709 that year with 17 babies given the name.
Is Brookes a unisex name?
Yes — Brookes is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 29% of Brookess assigned female and 71% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Brookes?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Brookes include Kinnie, Aristides, Clennon. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Brookes

Brookes is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1979 and has accumulated 108 births in the dataset. Brookes's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #2,709. Use the chart and map above to compare Brookes's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.