Brighten
Brighten is the third solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. Released on October 29, 2021, it is his first independent album as well as his first solo album in 19 years, since 2002's Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2. In addition to singing, Cantrell also played guitar, bass and keyboards on the album. He described the album as "a journey up through darkness to light".
Meaning & Origin of Brighten
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Brighten is the third solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. Released on October 29, 2021, it is his first independent album as well as his first solo album in 19 years, since 2002's Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2. In addition to singing, Cantrell also played guitar, bass and keyboards on the album. He described the album as "a journey up through darkness to light".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Brighten
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Brighten as a girl name dates back to 2000, when 7 babies received it. 2017 was its biggest year on record, with 11 newborns named Brighten — #9,339 in the national rankings. About 49% of every Brighten on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Brighten last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 98 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Brighten first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2003, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2010: 15 births, good for #5,741 nationwide. About 55% of every Brighten on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Brighten last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 165 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Brighten
Phonetically similar names — useful when Brighten 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 Brighten
What does the name Brighten mean?
How popular is Brighten in 2026?
When was Brighten most popular?
Is Brighten a unisex name?
What names go well with Brighten?
About the name Brighten
Brighten is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2003 and has accumulated 165 births in the dataset. Brighten's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #5,741. Use the chart and map above to compare Brighten's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2010 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.