Brendan
Boy · BREN-dan · Irish
Big in Northern Ireland
Brendan is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “prince”. In 2025 it ranked 1,257th for boys in the UK (24 babies) and 1,097th for boys in the US (195 babies).
What does Brendan mean?
Irish: from Old Irish Bréanainn, perhaps from Welsh
“prince”
St Brendan the Navigator, a 6th-century Irish abbot, was famed for a legendary voyage across the Atlantic.
- Say it
- BREN-dan
More on Wiktionary.
Is Brendan a girl's or a boy's name?
Brendan is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 24 boys in the UK and 195 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Brendan in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,257among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 24about 1 in 12,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 43% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 24 boys in the UK were named Brendan, making it the 1,257th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,033rd. Its busiest year was 1997, with 292 boys.
Half of all the boys named Brendan in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2009. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 37 boys in the UK were given Brendan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #822, up from #1,257 for this spelling alone.
- Brendan 24
- Brendon 13
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,612th in England and Wales, 647th in Scotland and 344th in Northern Ireland.
Brendan in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24 | #1,257 |
| 2024 | 26 | #1,177 |
| 2023 | 18 | #1,507 |
| 2022 | 27 | #1,130 |
| 2021 | 22 | #1,298 |
| 2020 | 30 | #1,033 |
| 2019 | 37 | #889 |
| 2018 | 52 | #728 |
| 2017 | 55 | #704 |
| 2016 | 44 | #806 |
| 2015 | 62 | #635 |
| 2014 | 67 | #596 |
| 2013 | 81 | #519 |
| 2012 | 101 | #437 |
| 2011 | 102 | #428 |
| 2010 | 113 | #397 |
| 2009 | 139 | #326 |
| 2008 | 120 | #358 |
| 2007 | 163 | #274 |
| 2006 | 163 | #258 |
| 2005 | 161 | #244 |
| 2004 | 162 | #241 |
| 2003 | 199 | #204 |
| 2002 | 233 | #178 |
| 2001 | 231 | #173 |
| 2000 | 289 | #146 |
| 1999 | 262 | #148 |
| 1998 | 292 | #146 |
| 1997 | 292 | #150 |
| 1996 | 216 | #169 |
How popular is Brendan in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,097among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 195about 1 in 8,800 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 46% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 195 boys in the US were named Brendan, making it the 1,097th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 722nd. Its busiest year was 1999, with 3,995 boys. It first appears in the records in 1912.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 26 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Brendan than any year since 1959.
Half of all the boys named Brendan in the US since 1880 were born between 1987 and 2004, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 293 boys in the US were given Brendan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #783, up from #1,097 for this spelling alone.
Brendan in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 195 | #1,097 |
| 2024 | 222 | #1,009 |
| 2023 | 262 | #887 |
| 2022 | 269 | #881 |
| 2021 | 327 | #765 |
| 2020 | 344 | #722 |
| 2019 | 422 | #637 |
| 2018 | 490 | #561 |
| 2017 | 560 | #517 |
| 2016 | 688 | #450 |
| 2015 | 826 | #387 |
| 2014 | 922 | #352 |
| 2013 | 1,009 | #326 |
| 2012 | 1,149 | #301 |
| 2011 | 1,315 | #263 |
| 2010 | 1,527 | #231 |
| 2009 | 1,762 | #212 |
| 2008 | 1,887 | #207 |
| 2007 | 1,927 | #205 |
| 2006 | 2,171 | #185 |
| 2005 | 2,360 | #176 |
| 2004 | 2,719 | #150 |
| 2003 | 2,867 | #141 |
| 2002 | 3,141 | #124 |
| 2001 | 3,345 | #115 |
| 2000 | 3,657 | #101 |
| 1999 | 3,995 | #96 |
| 1998 | 3,879 | #99 |
| 1997 | 3,621 | #107 |
| 1996 | 2,817 | #131 |
| 1995 | 2,692 | #133 |
| 1994 | 2,731 | #129 |
| 1993 | 2,302 | #145 |
| 1992 | 2,299 | #145 |
| 1991 | 2,189 | #147 |
| 1990 | 1,996 | #155 |
| 1989 | 2,146 | #145 |
| 1988 | 1,796 | #153 |
| 1987 | 1,808 | #156 |
| 1986 | 1,401 | #185 |
| 1985 | 1,382 | #185 |
| 1984 | 1,332 | #188 |
| 1983 | 1,276 | #191 |
| 1982 | 1,198 | #206 |
| 1981 | 1,157 | #215 |
| 1980 | 1,102 | #219 |
| 1979 | 991 | #230 |
| 1978 | 895 | #233 |
| 1977 | 768 | #258 |
| 1976 | 825 | #244 |
| 1975 | 654 | #292 |
| 1974 | 631 | #292 |
| 1973 | 552 | #319 |
| 1972 | 503 | #343 |
| 1971 | 543 | #336 |
| 1970 | 568 | #335 |
| 1969 | 470 | #364 |
| 1968 | 496 | #349 |
| 1967 | 444 | #356 |
| 1966 | 489 | #339 |
| 1965 | 307 | #439 |
| 1964 | 288 | #466 |
| 1963 | 245 | #513 |
| 1962 | 240 | #510 |
| 1961 | 241 | #513 |
| 1960 | 217 | #538 |
| 1959 | 178 | #585 |
| 1958 | 123 | #684 |
| 1957 | 144 | #638 |
| 1956 | 114 | #691 |
| 1955 | 98 | #735 |
| 1954 | 68 | #891 |
| 1953 | 78 | #812 |
| 1952 | 66 | #862 |
| 1951 | 54 | #948 |
| 1950 | 61 | #877 |
| 1949 | 51 | #966 |
| 1948 | 51 | #971 |
| 1947 | 39 | #1,158 |
| 1946 | 49 | #952 |
| 1945 | 48 | #927 |
| 1944 | 39 | #1,055 |
| 1943 | 55 | #897 |
| 1942 | 37 | #1,119 |
| 1941 | 43 | #971 |
| 1940 | 32 | #1,183 |
| 1939 | 32 | #1,141 |
| 1938 | 33 | #1,125 |
| 1937 | 36 | #1,074 |
| 1936 | 40 | #989 |
| 1935 | 34 | #1,123 |
| 1934 | 33 | #1,150 |
| 1933 | 24 | #1,361 |
| 1932 | 25 | #1,387 |
| 1931 | 11 | #2,327 |
| 1930 | 21 | #1,602 |
| 1929 | 17 | #1,848 |
| 1928 | 18 | #1,822 |
| 1927 | 18 | #1,871 |
| 1926 | 19 | #1,787 |
| 1925 | 20 | #1,744 |
| 1924 | 17 | #1,964 |
| 1923 | 21 | #1,695 |
| 1922 | 15 | #2,142 |
| 1921 | 9 | #2,985 |
| 1920 | 11 | #2,601 |
| 1919 | 16 | #1,972 |
| 1918 | 10 | #2,698 |
| 1917 | 12 | #2,279 |
| 1916 | 10 | #2,542 |
| 1915 | 7 | #3,081 |
| 1914 | 13 | #1,771 |
| 1913 | 8 | #2,091 |
| 1912 | 9 | #1,745 |
Names like Brendan
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ryan Declan Keegan Brogan Regan Conan Ronan Brayden Dylan Aiden Brian Keelan
Other spellings of Brendan
Names related to Brendan
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