Brent
Brent is an Old English given name and surname. The place name can be from Celtic words meaning "holy one", or "high place", literally, "from a steep hill". The surname often indicates that one's ancestors lived in a place called Brent.
Meaning & Origin of Brent
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Brent is an Old English given name and surname. The place name can be from Celtic words meaning "holy one", or "high place", literally, "from a steep hill". The surname often indicates that one's ancestors lived in a place called Brent.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Brent
Brent first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1885, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 4,270 Brents were born — ranking #74 that year. As of 2026, Brent ranks #1,708 for baby boys with 98 births, falling sharply (-33%). In total, more than 140K Brents have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Brent
Phonetically similar names — useful when Brent 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 Brent
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About the name Brent
Brent is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1885 and has accumulated 140K births in the dataset. Brent's peak popularity came in 1970 when it ranked #73. Use the chart and map above to compare Brent's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1970 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.