Bren
The Bren gun (Brno-Enfield) was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by the United Kingdom in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and British Empire forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used in the Korean War and saw service throughout the latter half of the 20th century, including the 1982 Falklands War.
Meaning & Origin of Bren
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Bren gun (Brno-Enfield) was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by the United Kingdom in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and British Empire forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also used in the Korean War and saw service throughout the latter half of the 20th century, including the 1982 Falklands War.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Bren
As a girl name
Bren first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1980, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 12 Brens were born — ranking #7,716 that year. As of 2026, Bren ranks #13,584 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 174 Brens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Bren first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1956, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 16 Brens were born — ranking #4,815 that year. As of 2026, Bren ranks #8,947 for boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-20%). In total, more than 555 Brens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Bren
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bren 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 Bren
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About the name Bren
Bren is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 555 births in the dataset. Bren's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #4,815. Use the chart and map above to compare Bren's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2003 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- 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.