Brooke
Brooke comes from the Old English "broc," meaning a small stream or brook. It began as a surname for someone who lived near a brook, then became a unisex first name. As with most nature-surname names, the crossover to first-name use happened in the mid-20th century. Brooke entered the US top 1000 for girls in 1973 and peaked at #43 in 1991. The driver was Brooke Shields, the actress and model who became famous as a teenager in the late 1970s and starred in "The Blue Lagoon" (1980) and "Pretty Baby" (1978). Her combination of beauty and intelligence (she graduated Princeton while still a working actress) gave the name a sophisticated charge. I find Brooke has a cool, clean quality — the "br" opening gives it strength, and the "k" ending gives it sharpness. It sounds like the small stream it names: clear and a little cold. The name has declined somewhat but is still in the US top 300. It is one of the rare nature names that does not feel overly cute. Brooke is a female name of English (place name) origin that means "Small stream". Cool, clean, and composed. The name sounds clear. Brookes tend to be quietly capable. US peaked #43 in 1991. Now around #300. Well-known people named Brooke include Brooke Shields (actress), Brooke Astor (philanthropist), Brooke Burns (actress), Brooke (fictional, various). Common variations and related forms of Brooke include Brook (simplified), Brooklyn (elaboration), Brookes (surname form), Brookelle (modern).