Brooks

A surname drawn from the Old English broc, small stream, the kind that cuts through a meadow with watercress on its banks. Brooks Robinson dove across third base at Memorial Stadium for two decades; Brooks Brothers has been dressing American presidents since 1818; Mel Brooks has been undressing their dignity for nearly as long. As a first name it is a twenty-first-century favorite among parents who want prep-school polish without the fuss of Brooklyn. It currently ranks 67 and is given to about one in 358 boys. One brisk syllable, no nickname needed, country-club meets running water. The s at the end is load-bearing, somehow.