Brooke Name Meaning: Gender, Facts & History

What Does Brooke Mean?

The name Brooke means “water” or “small stream.” Less obvious to us is the fact that Brooke is also a verb that means “to endure or tolerate.” It derives from the Proto-Indo-European root word bhrug ⁽¹⁾.

Bhrug means “to make use of or enjoy” in the sense of eating food. The more modern meaning of “tolerance” comes from the idea of “stomaching something” which is also related to food. That definition came about in the 16th century.

What Is the Origin of the Name Brooke?

The name Brooke has roots in both German and Old English. It most likely comes from the old English word bróc which means “water” or a “small stream.”

Brooke used to be a surname. The name was either given to people living near a stream or who delivered fresh water as their occupation. The first recorded use of Brooke as a surname dates back to the 12th century in Essex and was spelled Broc.

How Popular Is the Name Brooke?

Brooke first became fairly popular in 1953 when it broke into the top one thousand baby names for girls. It became popular again in 1969 when it reached popularity ranking number 480.

It went through a long period of being very popular in the 90s and early 2000s. In 2003, Brooke was at its most popular as the 43rd most popular name for girls ⁽²⁾. It started tapering off around 2012 and has been declining a bit each year since.

Brooke as a name for boys has never been very popular in the United States. It was much more popular as a boy’s name in Europe. Variations include Brooks, Brook, and Brooker are much more common for boys.

How Do I Pronounce Brooke?

Brooke is pronounced like“bruuk.”

Is Brooke a Boy or Girl Name?

The name Brooke is currently a unisex name. It used to be accepted as a name for boys but has since become more popular with girls. Variations of the name Brooke like Brooks and Brooker are more popular with boys.

Variations of Brooke

You may see different spellings of Brooke depending on the person and their culture. Here are some common variations.

• Borka (Hungarian)
• Broek (Dutch)
• Breck (Irish)
• Brook (German/English)
• Brookelle (German)
• Brooker (English)
• Brookes (English)
• Brookia (English/German)
• Brookin (Norman)
• Brooks (Swedish)
• Burne (Gaelic)

Nicknames for Brooke

You can earn a nickname from a character trait, a past event, or a variation of your name. Here are some common nicknames for Brooke based on the name:

• Bea
• B/Bee
• Boo bear
• Bookie
• Broccoli
• Brookie
• Brooks
• Brooky
• Bubbles
• Cookie
• Puddle
• Queen B
• Rook
• Stream

Similar Names to Brooke

Maybe you already know someone named Brooke, or maybe you think Brooke doesn’t fit well with your last name. Here are some names that are similar to Brooke in sound or origin that you may like instead:

• Alex
• Anderson
• April
• Barnaby
• Beckett
• Bennet
• Blair
• Blake
• Briar
• Brock
• Brooklyn
• Brooks
• Bryn
• Byron
• Cameron
• Holden
• Sutton

Middle Names for Brooke

Choosing a middle name is almost as important as choosing the first name. You can choose a family name, a name of great significance, or a name that simply sounds good. Here are some suggestions for middle names that sound good with Brooke:

• Addison
• Ann
• Barnaby
• Beau
• Bijoux
• Byron
• Elise
• Elizabeth
• Everett
• Harper
• Indigo
• Nicole
• Taylor
• Wilder

Sibling Names for Brooke

Some parents like to name their children with a theme or names that start with the same letter. Some parents choose names based on how they sound altogether. Here are some ideas for sibling names that go along with Brooke:

For a Brother:

• Bailey
• Blake
• Brock
• Callum
• Finn
• Forrest
• Grant
• Jordan
• Rain

For a Sister:

• Amber
• Bridget
• Eden
• Lily
• Reese
• River
• Rory
• Sabrina
• Summer

Famous People Named Brooke

Brooke has been a popular name for a long time. It makes sense that there are famous people also named Brooke. It may even be thanks to some of those famous people that the name became so popular.

• Brooke Benjamin: English mathematical physicist and mathematician.
• Brooke Castile: American figure skater.
• Brooke Hogan: American singer, daughter of wrestler Hulk Hogan, and actress.
• Brooke Makler: American Olympic fencer.
• Brooke McEldowney: Cartoonist.
• Brooke Nihart: American marine, Navy Cross recipient, and historian.
• Brooke Shields: Actress and model.
• Brooke Shipley: American mathematician.
• Brooke Stevens: American fantasy and thriller writer.
• Brooke Tessmacher: American wrestler.

Brooke in Popular Culture

The name Brooke has also made its way into popular culture. Here are some more famous people with the name Brooke:

• Brooke Armstrong: Character from the tv series “Melrose Place.”
• Brooke Davis: Character in the television series “One Tree Hill.”
• Brooke Logan: Character in the soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
• Brooke Lohst: Character in the book “Be More Chill.”
• Brooke Page: Character in the franchise “Ever After High.”

Brooke FAQs

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about the name Brooke.