Boys' name · since 1913

Brainard

Brainard has 129 recorded births since 1913 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1914 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#15,734 of 45,481
all-time among boys
129
born since 1913
1910s
peak decade

129 boys have been named Brainard since 1913, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Brainard has 129 recorded births among boys since 1913, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 1975.

  • #15,734 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 129 born since 1913
  • 1910s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Brainard ranks #15,734 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 129 born since 1913, peaking in the 1910s.

#15,734 of 45,481
all-time among boys
129
born since 1913
1910s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Brainard's 129 recorded births place it above 65.29% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Brainard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Brainard splits its recorded history at 1926: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1913 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1914 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Brainard popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–1975

Last recorded 1975
Peak year (1914)
11
Annual births at peak, across 63 years of records
4681012 19131917192219251956195919661975 5

Brainard by decade

1910s is the heaviest window (42 births, 33% of the file).

1910s was Brainard's strongest decade.

42 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.

Brainard births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1910s at 42 births (33% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Brainard?
Since 1913, Social Security records show 129 babies named Brainard. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #15,734 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1975. Its busiest year on record was 1914, with 11 births.
Where does Brainard sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Brainard ranks #15,734 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Brainard most popular?
Brainard was most popular in the 1910s decade with 42 total births. The single peak year was 1914.
How long has the name Brainard been used?
Records for Brainard go back to 1913, giving 63 years of history through 1975.
What names are similar to Brainard?
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 Brainard's data

  • Brainard's decade-level peak was the 1910s (42 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Brainard

Nearby Names Like Brainard

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brainard

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Brainard: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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, 1913–1975 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

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 Brainard 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 August 2026.