Total births
508
Unisex name · since 2008
Brave
508 babies named Brave in U.S. Social Security records since 2008, with the highest year being 2022. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3332
- among boys today
- 508
- born since 2008
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Brave is the #3332 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 508 recorded since 2008.
Brave has 508 recorded births among boys since 2008, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3332 as of the latest data, more common than 77% of boys, busiest in the 2020s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2008 to 2025.
- #3332 among boys today
- 508 born since 2008
- 2020s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brave is currently the #3332 unisex name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 508 born since 2008, peaking in the 2020s.
- #3332
- among boys today
- 508
- born since 2008
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Brave vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3332
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
56% of everyone ever named Brave was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
54 babies were named Brave in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Brave compares
508 Top 43% higher than 57% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Brave's all-time total is 38% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brave | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 508 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 54 | 23 | 22,252 |
Brave's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Brave's full recorded timeline at 2017, 74% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 26% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2011, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2022 peak of 54 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Brave at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2022
Current rank
#3,332
Active since
2008
Brave popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2008–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 54
- Annual births at peak, across 18 years of records
Brave popularity over time - girls
160 total births recorded since 2015 (Brave as girls' name)
Brave by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Brave's strongest decade.
284 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 56% of all-time use.
Brave births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 17
2000s
17 births
- 2010s
2010s
207 births
- 2020s
2020s
284 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 284 births (56% of all-time use).
How Brave 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 Brave's total volume
Brave vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brave by state
Where Brave concentrates geographically, total births since 2008
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 29 | 5.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 24 | 4.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 7 | 1.4% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 1.2% |
California share of Brave's total US births 5.7%
Even split
29 of 508 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brave? ▼
508 babies have been named Brave since 2008. It currently ranks #3332 among boys. The peak year was 2022 with 54 births.
When was Brave most popular? ▼
Brave was most popular in the 2020s decade with 284 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Brave most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brave are California (29 births), Texas (24 births), Florida (7 births).
Is Brave a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Brave is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 508 births, and as a girl's name it has 160 births.
How long has the name Brave been used? ▼
Records for Brave go back to 2008, giving 18 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Brave? ▼
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 Brave's data
- California records the most Braves (29 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 Brave
Nearby Names Like Brave
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brave
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 Brave side by side: Brave vs Brandon Brave vs Bradley Brave vs Brayden
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brave
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 2008–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brave: #3332 Unisex Name - 508 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brave. 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 Brave 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 June 2026.