Brooks?

[Rachelhaydenberk1]

I'm not currently expecting a boy but I still have names on the brain. :)

I have a hard time finding boys names I really like. But the name Brooks is growing on me.

I dont like Brooke, as that strikes me a girl's name only, even without the e. And oddly I have a bad association with Brooke as a female name but I feel open to Brooks for a boy for some odd reason.

Brooks seems masculine although the s at the end could be kinda pesky.

Any thoughts? I'm American but I haven't met any children with this name - or anyone. Its ranked around 200 apparently for popularity right now but it's not a name I've heard used.

Brooke is the name of a chain of family planning clinics.

Oh wow! It's a girl's name here - Brooke. Not a very common name but I did know one growing up.

I always pick the names that are not acceptable in the UK due to weird place associations! It's kinda getting funny!!

Brooke for a girl is dated, but fine, it's recognised as a name.

The family planning clinics are Brook, not Brooke. Subtle difference.

Brooks for a boy I'm sure wouldn't cause anyone to turn a hair in the US, but would be seen as a bit 'out there' in the UK.

A brook is a small stream in parts of northern England, which is a nice meaning.

OP, I'm just wondering if you might get more helpful responses on a US parenting site? Naming trends are very different this side of the Atlantic as I'm sure you've noticed

Reminds me too much of real housewives of orange county, where brooks was a gold digger hanging around one of the women...

There's a lot of commonalities with most names but I guess not the ones I pick ;) yes I'll have to try a more US friendly site for this because I dont want to see 5 million comments on how this is a Planned Parenthood Haha :)

And yes brook here also means stream. It's a nature-inspired name!!

Ahhh I never watch Real Housewives so I wouldn't realize! I do know Brody the reality star which makes me not like that name even though otherwise I'd find it nice!

Brook is fine. Not to my taste, but a perfectly acceptable name for a boy.

Brooks is just odd. And it's a surname. Though I gather using surnames as first names in America is quite common (as in popular, not chav)

Yes using surnames as first names is really common here. Especially for boys!

I also really like Morrison for a boy - definitely surname!!

Brookes/Morrisons

Just no.

Aren't you the person with the Harlow thread? Let me just warn you that you're going to get similarly negative responses for this one too.

When I saw the thread title I thought it sounded very preppy American. Brooks Winthorpe III, that kind of thing. It's not to my taste but if you like it I can't imagine it being a hindrance to him. Hilary Duff recently had a daughter who she named Banks (!), now that to me is a bonkers name. Especially for a girl.

Haha fair enough. I'm not actually having a boy right now so it's not as personal. I just like discussing names lately!

I dont like Banks for a girl. That's awful!!

Brooks here in the US wouldn't be too out of the ordinary. Morrison is a little more out there, even here because it's a strong surname. I've never heard of Banks for a boy or girl. Weird. Hilary Duff has another son named Luca, which I like :)

I live in the US and I’ve never heard it on a human but I do know 2 dogs called Brooks. Probably not the response you’re looking for either but just sharing my experience since you asked!

Brooks, as in more than one Brook?

In the US random nouns are acceptable as names e.g. Brick. But sounds weird in commonwealth countries

Hmm it's not really a name over here. I've heard of Brooke for a girl (because of Brooke Shields) but Brooks doesn't really work I think.

Morrison(s) is a well known supermarket chain here in the UK, so I don't think that is going to go down well either! And even if it wasn't, I don't get why people choose names like JackSON, HarriSON, etc. as they are pretty clearly surnames denoting that someone (or rather, their ancestor) was the son of Jack, Harry, Morris etc.

Just to be radical, why not choose names that are not places or surnames? You know, normal names. There are so many lovely ones. But up to you of course.

Fair enough! I think in the US we try to find names not overly used and refreshing and that somehow lead to the path of using surnames as first names. I think! I couldn't tell you exactly how that trend started.

I like some other non-surname names although I do find naming boys a lot more challenging than girls. But I like Bram, Dean, Fintan, Sawyer and Gerard.

I do like other surnames though: Vaughn, Bronson, Connelly and Donovan.

What are some suggestions for boys from over the pond. I need more inspiration. Although I'm not having a boy right now so this isn't like an urgency, it's just for fun :)

I think Brooks could be nice depending on your actual surname, so for instance Brooks Jones wouldn’t work but Brooks Oldman might?

I think it works.. it's quite nice

I'm in the US.

Brooks is very dated. There was a Brooks in a class two years behind my oldest DD for a few years in school. Oldest DD will be 29 soon...

Vaughn is a thousand times nicer.
Van is nice. There are a good few Lincolns in my area. Also names like Beckett, Carter, Coleman, Landon, Easton, Austin and Wyatt

You can't go wrong with cutting edge Irish names. Quinn is in, as is Logan (around here anyway).

@DramaAlpaca is a brook not a small stream in the rest of the UK too? and the rest of the English speaking world

Haha yes a brook is a stream everywhere ;) it's a nature inspired name I'm guessing? Hahaha.

Yes, I'm not saying this is an instantly loved name in the US. In fact, I've never heard it as i mentioned!

I'm saying surnames as first names are on trend in the US. For good or bad Haha. I do like some as i listed. Sometimes I wonder if they sound sophisticated or trashy?? For example Jackson to me sounds kinda trashy. Why wouldn't you just do Jack? Jameson just reminds me of whiskey.

But I do like Vaughn. Oh I also love Hudson. I really love Connelly as well :)

Brooks is okay. Just one I was pondering to add to the list. It reminds me of the country band Brooks & Dunn which I have positive associations with. Although Brooks is the artists' surname.

I think I'm liking Morrison because my dad just passed away and he was a huge Van Morrison fan.

Is Van short for anything? I dont like it as a full name. It makes me think of a mini van! I was thinking Donovan could be a fuller version? Although I have a friend who named her child this and I hate the nickname Donnie.

Sorry - this thread is a bit unfocused. I should change the title to What Surnames as First Names work for Boys?

Or what names that aren't surnames are refreshing?

Pure curiosity :)

I like some other non-surname names although I do find naming boys a lot more challenging than girls. But I like Bram, Dean, Fintan, Sawyer and Gerard

I do like other surnames though: Vaughn, Bronson, Connelly and Donovan

Vaughn and Donovan are acceptable first names.

Van Morrison is actually George Ivan Morrison.

RayaJambalaya you are, of course, correct. I had 'brook' muddled up in my mind with 'beck' for some reason. Oops

Not sure about Brooks, because it sounds plural, and because it reminds me of the tragic character from The Shawshank Redemption (admittedly, this won't be what most people think of).

That reminds me, I quite like Beck for a boy, now that a pp has mentioned it! It works for the naturey theme (a beck is a stream in northern and eastern England). There's also:

Rowan
Glen
Heath
Asher (if you were British, I'd suggest Ashley, but I'm aware that it's a female name in the US )
Jay
Robin
River
Dale
Bryn
Jasper
Jet
Linden
Leif

Surname type names:

Lincoln
Everett
Dashiell
Jarvis
Quinn
Ellis
Lennox

No idea if any of these are even suitable, as I don't know much about names in America.

My first thought was The Shawshank Redemption.

But I think in the US you can get away with most names.