Total births
5,739
Girls' name · since 1972
Brea
5,739 babies named Brea in U.S. Social Security records since 1972, with the highest year being 1993. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3146
- among girls today
- 5,739
- born since 1972
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other girls
5,739 babies have been named Brea since 1972, making it today's #3146 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Brea recorded 5,739 times among girls since 1972, holding rank #3146 nationally today, ahead of 82% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2025.
- #3146 among girls today
- 5,739 born since 1972
- 1990s peak decade
- 82% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Brea is currently the #3146 girls' name in America, more common than 82% of girls - 5,739 born since 1972, peaking in the 1990s.
- #3146
- among girls today
- 5,739
- born since 1972
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other girls
Brea vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3146
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 82% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Brea was born in this single decade.
1993
Single peak year
268 babies were named Brea in 1993 - its busiest year on record.
How Brea compares
5,739 Top 12% higher than 88% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Brea's all-time total is 15x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brea | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,739 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 268 | 48 | 19,840 |
Brea's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Brea's SSA record in two at 1999 and the more recent half accounts for 54% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 46%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1972, with only 11 births recorded -- set against the 1993 peak of 268, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Brea at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1993
Current rank
#3,146
Active since
1972
Brea popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2025
- Peak year (1993)
- 268
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Brea by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Brea's strongest decade.
1,795 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Brea births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 383
1970s
383 births
- 1980s 609
1980s
609 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,795 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,392 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,166 births
- 2020s 394
2020s
394 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,795 births (31% of all-time use).
How Brea compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Brea's total volume
Brea vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Brea by state
Where Brea concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 449 | 7.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 334 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 239 | 4.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 221 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 214 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Florida | | 203 | 3.5% |
| #7 | New York | | 151 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 145 | 2.5% |
California share of Brea's total US births 7.8%
Even split
449 of 5,739 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 32 reporting states.
Brea appears in 32 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brea? ▼
5,739 babies have been named Brea since 1972. It currently ranks #3146 among girls. The peak year was 1993 with 268 births.
When was Brea most popular? ▼
Brea was most popular in the 1990s decade with 1,795 total births. The single peak year was 1993.
Where is Brea most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brea are California (449 births), Texas (334 births), Ohio (239 births).
How long has the name Brea been used? ▼
Brea has been recorded in Social Security data since 1972, spanning 54 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Brea? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brenda, Breanna, Brenna, Breana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Brea's data
- Brea's decade-level peak was the 1990s (1,795 total births); usage has since declined to 394 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Breas (449 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 Brea
Nearby Names Like Brea
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brea
Brenda Girl
#1141 608,478 births
Breanna Girl
#1829 82,375 births
Brenna Girl
#2070 29,371 births
Breana Girl
#10477 11,224 births
Breanne Girl
#7011 10,352 births
Compare Brea side by side: Brea vs Brenda Brea vs Breanna Brea vs Brenna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brea
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, 1972–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brea: #3146 Girls' Name - 5,739 Births, Peak 1993." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brea. 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 Brea 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.