Brooke

Brooke comes from the surname (Brooke, Brook, Brooks,) and means exactly what you'd expect it to mean; the surname originally described someone who lived near a brook or a stream. It comes from the Old English word bróc. Brooke is currently an extremely popular name for girls in many English speaking countries, including the U.S., Scotland, and Australia. Part of its popularity is due to the fame of actresses Brooke Shields and Brooke Adams. In the U.S., Brooke has been a top 100 name since the 1980's. This means there are currently a lot of Brookes running around out there. This being the case, new parents might want to look for a name that is somewhat less over-used. New parents should also be aware that although most name dictionaries, etc., list Brooke as being a feminine OR masculine name, it is generally the spelling Brook that is considered more masculine (and occasionally Brooks.) Brooke has been so popular for girls that I'd hesitate to give a boy even the "masculine" versions of the name. His life will be much easier without the perception by his peers that he's got "a girl's name."