Brighten
Mostly boys · BRY-ten · English
Brighten is a name of English origin, meaning “to make bright”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Brighten mean?
English: English verb brighten, or a spelling of Brighton
“to make bright”
Either the English verb brighten or a respelling of Brighton, the seaside city on England's south coast.
- Say it
- BRY-ten
Is Brighten a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Brighten has been given to girls and boys, mostly boys.
How popular is Brighten in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2010, with 15 boys. It first appears in the records in 2003.
Half of all the boys named Brighten in the US since 1880 were born between 2010 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
Brighten in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | #9,888 |
| 2023 | 7 | #9,757 |
| 2022 | 8 | #8,983 |
| 2021 | 11 | #7,084 |
| 2020 | 5 | #12,016 |
| 2019 | 9 | #8,209 |
| 2018 | 11 | #7,132 |
| 2017 | 8 | #8,835 |
| 2016 | 10 | #7,600 |
| 2015 | 13 | #6,320 |
| 2014 | 12 | #6,627 |
| 2013 | 8 | #8,784 |
| 2012 | 5 | #12,267 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 15 | #5,737 |
| 2009 | 8 | #8,980 |
| 2008 | 6 | #11,030 |
| 2007 | 5 | #12,361 |
| 2006 | 5 | #12,048 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 5 | #11,348 |
| 2003 | 7 | #8,636 |
Names related to Brighten
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