Total births
91,816
Boys' name · since 1912
Brendan
Since 1912, U.S. Social Security records show 91,816 babies named Brendan, peaking in 1999. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1010
- among boys today
- 91,816
- born since 1912
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Brendan currently ranks #1010 among boys' names in America, with 91,816 babies recorded since 1912.
Social Security Administration records show Brendan recorded 91,816 times among boys since 1912, holding rank #1010 nationally today, ahead of 93% of boys, 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 1912 to 2025.
- #1010 among boys today
- 91,816 born since 1912
- 1990s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brendan is currently the #1010 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 91,816 born since 1912, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1010
- among boys today
- 91,816
- born since 1912
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Brendan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1010
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Brendan was born in this single decade.
1999
Single peak year
3,995 babies were named Brendan in 1999 - its busiest year on record.
How Brendan compares
91,816 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Brendan's all-time total is 250x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brendan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 91,816 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,995 | 23 | 22,252 |
Brendan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Brendan splits its recorded history at 1969: 95% of all births land in the more recent half, 5% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1915 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1999 peak of 3,995 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Brendan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1999
Current rank
#1,010
Active since
1912
Brendan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1999)
- 3,995
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Brendan popularity over time - girls
325 total births recorded since 1968 (Brendan as girls' name)
Brendan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Brendan's strongest decade.
28,521 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Brendan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 85
1910s
85 births
- 1920s 165
1920s
165 births
- 1930s 289
1930s
289 births
- 1940s 444
1940s
444 births
- 1950s 984
1950s
984 births
- 1960s 3,437
1960s
3,437 births
- 1970s 6,930
1970s
6,930 births
- 1980s
1980s
14,598 births
- 1990s
1990s
28,521 births
- 2000s
2000s
25,836 births
- 2010s 8,908
2010s
8,908 births
- 2020s 1,619
2020s
1,619 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 28,521 births (31% of all-time use).
How Brendan 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 Brendan's total volume
Brendan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brendan by state
Where Brendan concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 11,389 | 12.4% |
| #2 | California | | 7,942 | 8.6% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 7,607 | 8.3% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 5,474 | 6.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 5,408 | 5.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 4,958 | 5.4% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 4,307 | 4.7% |
| #8 | Texas | | 3,622 | 3.9% |
New York share of Brendan's total US births 12.4%
Even split
11,389 of 91,816 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Brendan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brendan? ▼
91,816 babies have been named Brendan since 1912. It currently ranks #1010 among boys. The peak year was 1999 with 3,995 births.
When was Brendan most popular? ▼
Brendan was most popular in the 1990s decade with 28,521 total births. The single peak year was 1999.
Where is Brendan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brendan are New York (11,389 births), California (7,942 births), Massachusetts (7,607 births).
How long has the name Brendan been used? ▼
Brendan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1912, spanning 114 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Brendan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brett, Brent, Brennan, Bret, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Brendan's data
- Brendan's decade-level peak was the 1990s (28,521 total births); usage has since declined to 1,619 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Brendans (11,389 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Brendan
Nearby Names Like Brendan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brendan
Brett Boy
#1059 159,109 births
Brent Boy
#1653 139,799 births
Brennan Boy
#1058 33,258 births
Bret Boy
#4734 29,819 births
Brenden Boy
#2511 25,715 births
Compare Brendan side by side: Brendan vs Brett Brendan vs Brent Brendan vs Brennan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brendan
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brendan: #1010 Boys' Name - 91,816 Births, Peak 1999." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brendan. 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 Brendan 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.