Total births
381
Boys' name · since 1971
Brannan
Since 1971, U.S. Social Security records show 381 babies named Brannan, peaking in 1978. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 381
- total births
- 1971–2021
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
381 boys have been named Brannan since 1971, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Brannan has 381 recorded births among boys since 1971, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2021.
- 381 total births
- 1971–2021 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 28% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
381 boys have been named Brannan since 1971, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2021.
- 381
- total births
- 1971–2021
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Brannan was born in this single decade.
1978
Single peak year
16 babies were named Brannan in 1978 - its busiest year on record.
Brannan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Brannan's full recorded timeline at 1994, 52% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 48% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1983, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1978 peak of 16 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Brannan at a glance
Last recorded 2021Peak year
1978
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1971
Brannan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2021
- Peak year (1978)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 51 years of records
Brannan popularity over time - girls
11 total births recorded since 1979 (Brannan as girls' name)
Brannan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Brannan's strongest decade.
108 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Brannan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
54 births
- 1980s
1980s
91 births
- 1990s
1990s
108 births
- 2000s
2000s
97 births
- 2010s 26
2010s
26 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 108 births (28% of all-time use).
Brannan by state
Where Brannan concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 1.3% |
California share of Brannan's total US births 1.3%
5 of 381 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brannan? ▼
Since 1971, Social Security records show 381 babies named Brannan. The most recent recorded year was 2021. Its busiest year on record was 1978, with 16 births.
When was Brannan most popular? ▼
Brannan was most popular in the 1990s decade with 108 total births. The single peak year was 1978.
Where is Brannan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brannan are California (5 births).
How long has the name Brannan been used? ▼
Brannan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1971, spanning 51 years of data through 2021.
What names are similar to Brannan? ▼
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 Brannan's data
- Brannan's decade-level peak was the 1990s (108 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brannans (5 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 Brannan
Nearby Names Like Brannan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brannan
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 Brannan side by side: Brannan vs Brandon Brannan vs Bradley Brannan 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, 1971–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brannan: Baby Name Since 1971 - 381 Births, Peak 1978." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brannan. 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 Brannan 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.