Brave
The Story of Brave
As a girl name
American parents first put Brave on the record books as a girl name in 2015, with 18 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 25 Braves were born — ranking #5,168 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 63% of all recorded Braves. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #8,674 among girl names with 10 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 171 Braves have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Brave on the record books as a boy name in 2008, with 9 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 54 Braves were born — ranking #2,516 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 59% of all recorded Braves. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #3,167 among boy names with 38 births, gradually rising (+12%). In total, more than 547 Braves have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Brave
Phonetically similar names — useful when Brave is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Brave
What does the name Brave mean?
How popular is Brave in 2026?
When was Brave most popular?
In which U.S. states is Brave most popular?
Is Brave a unisex name?
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About the name Brave
Brave is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2008 and has accumulated 547 births in the dataset. Brave's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #2,498. Use the chart and map above to compare Brave's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.