Boy · #3,297 in 2026

Brenden

Name: Popularity of the name Brenden in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Brenden, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Brendan is an Irish masculine given name in the English language. It is derived from the Gaelic name Breandán, which is in turn derived from the earlier Old Irish Brénainn. The Old Welsh breenhin is the root of the name, meaning 'prince' or 'king'. The mediaeval Latin form of the name, Brendanus, has also influenced the modern English and Irish forms. Variant spellings are Brendon and Brenden.

Current Rank

#3,297

Peak Rank

#242 (2000)

Total Babies

26K

5-Yr Trend

-62%

1986

First Year

2008

Last Year

1986

Peak Year

#7132

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Brenden

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

The English Brendan is an Anglicised form of the Irish Breandán , in turn derived from the Old Irish Brénainn . This Old Irish personal name (pronounced [br'ēn-in']) is derived from a borrowing of the Old Welsh word breenhín , meaning 'a prince'. Both the English form and the modern Irish form, Breandán , are based upon the mediaeval Latin form Brendanus . According to one old Irish text there are 17 saints with the name. When used in an Irish sentence it can mutate to take the form Bhreandán , for example A Bhreandáin or ..do Bhreandán . Variations of the Irish Breandán are Breanndán , Bhrean

The Story of Brenden

Brenden first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1956, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 1,394 Brendens were born — ranking #243 that year. As of 2026, Brenden ranks #3,297 for baby boys with 36 births, falling sharply (-62%). In total, more than 26K Brendens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Notable people named Brenden

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

Saint Brendan of Clonfert ( c. 484 – c. 577 ), Irish monastic saint
Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above
Brendan Adams (born 2000), American basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Brendan Allen (born 1995), American mixed martial artist
Brendan Behan (1923–1964), Irish writer
Brendan Benson (born 1970), Detroit-area musician
Brendan Bracken (1901–1958), Irish emigrant to Britain, businessman, magazine publisher, newspaper editor, politician and government minister
Brendan Byrne (1924–2018), American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Brenden

Phonetically similar names — useful when Brenden 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 Brenden

What does the name Brenden mean?

How popular is Brenden in 2026?

In 2026, Brenden ranks #3,297 among boys' names in the U.S., with 36 babies given the name that year.

When was Brenden most popular?

Brenden reached its peak popularity in 2000, ranking #242 that year with 1,394 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Brenden most popular?

Brenden has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Vermont, Michigan. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Brenden.

Is Brenden a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Brenden is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Brenden?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Brenden include Rodger, Darrel, Brennan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Brenden

Brenden is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1956 and has accumulated 26K births in the dataset. Brenden's peak popularity came in 2000 when it ranked #242. Use the chart and map above to compare Brenden's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.