Boys' name · since 1972
Brenan
Brenan has 833 recorded births since 1972 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5,764 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 833
- born since 1972
- 2000s
- peak decade
Brenan is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 833 have been recorded since 1972.
Brenan has 833 recorded births among boys since 1972, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2021.
- #5,764 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 833 born since 1972
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Brenan ranks #5,764 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 833 born since 1972, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5,764 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 833
- born since 1972
- 2000s
- peak decade
Brenan's 833 recorded births place it above 87.31% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
Brenan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Brenan splits its recorded history at 1999: 57% of all births land in the more recent half, 43% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1975 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2009 peak of 42 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Brenan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2021
- Peak year (2009)
- 42
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Brenan by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (296 births, 36% of the file).
2000s was Brenan's strongest decade.
296 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Brenan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 38
1970s
38 births
- 1980s 97
1980s
97 births
- 1990s
1990s
257 births
- 2000s
2000s
296 births
- 2010s
2010s
133 births
- 2020s 12
2020s
12 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 296 births (36% of all-time use).
How Brenan 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 Brenan's total volume
Brenan by state
Where Brenan concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 7 | 0.8% |
| #2 | California | | 5 | 0.6% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.6% |
| #4 | Utah | | 5 | 0.6% |
7 of 833 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Brenan's data
- Brenan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (296 total births); usage has since declined to 12 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Brenans (7 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Brenan
Nearby Names Like Brenan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brenan
Compare Brenan side by side: Brenan vs Brett Brenan vs Brent Brenan vs Brendan
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Brenan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2009)
Similar record span (~49 yrs)
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, 1972–2021 (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 Brenan 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.