Total births
4,596
Boys' name · since 1950
Brain
4,596 babies named Brain in U.S. Social Security records since 1950, with the highest year being 1982. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 4,596
- total births
- 1950–2017
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 36%
- born in that decade
Brain sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 4,596 recorded since 1950.
Social Security Administration records show Brain recorded 4,596 times among boys since 1950, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2017.
- 4,596 total births
- 1950–2017 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 36% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
4,596 boys have been named Brain since 1950, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2017.
- 4,596
- total births
- 1950–2017
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 36%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Brain was born in this single decade.
1982
Single peak year
189 babies were named Brain in 1982 - its busiest year on record.
Brain's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Brain splits its recorded history at 1985: 29% of all births land in the more recent half, 71% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1950 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1982 peak of 189 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Brain at a glance
Last recorded 2017Peak year
1982
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1950
Brain popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2017
- Peak year (1982)
- 189
- Annual births at peak, across 68 years of records
Brain popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 1977 (Brain as girls' name)
Brain by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Brain's strongest decade.
1,633 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Brain births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 82
1950s
82 births
- 1960s
1960s
705 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,633 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,531 births
- 1990s 415
1990s
415 births
- 2000s 191
2000s
191 births
- 2010s 39
2010s
39 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,633 births (36% of all-time use).
How Brain compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Brain's total volume
Brain vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brain by state
Where Brain concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 546 | 11.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 303 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 270 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Texas | | 196 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 179 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 161 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 145 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 130 | 2.8% |
California share of Brain's total US births 11.9%
Even split
546 of 4,596 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 29 reporting states.
Brain appears in 29 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brain? ▼
Since 1950, Social Security records show 4,596 babies named Brain. The most recent recorded year was 2017. Its busiest year on record was 1982, with 189 births.
When was Brain most popular? ▼
Brain was most popular in the 1970s decade with 1,633 total births. The single peak year was 1982.
Where is Brain most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brain are California (546 births), New York (303 births), Illinois (270 births).
How long has the name Brain been used? ▼
Records for Brain go back to 1950, giving 68 years of history through 2017.
What names are similar to Brain? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brandon, Bradley, Brayden, Brady, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Brain's data
- Brain's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,633 total births); usage has since declined to 39 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brains (546 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Brain
Nearby Names Like Brain
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brain
Brandon Boy
#230 770,509 births
Bradley Boy
#362 313,008 births
Brayden Boy
#190 136,548 births
Brady Boy
#309 96,770 births
Brad Boy
#4077 83,060 births
Compare Brain side by side: Brain vs Brandon Brain vs Bradley Brain vs Brayden
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1950–2017 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brain: Baby Name Since 1950 - 4,596 Births, Peak 1982." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brain. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Brain draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.