Total births
25,715
Boys' name · since 1956
Brenden
Since 1956, U.S. Social Security records show 25,715 babies named Brenden, peaking in 2000. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2511
- among boys today
- 25,715
- born since 1956
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
25,715 babies have been named Brenden since 1956, making it today's #2511 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Brenden has been recorded 25,715 times among boys since 1956, currently ranked #2511 nationally and more common than 82% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1956 to 2025.
- #2511 among boys today
- 25,715 born since 1956
- 2000s peak decade
- 82% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brenden is currently the #2511 boys' name in America, more common than 82% of boys - 25,715 born since 1956, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2511
- among boys today
- 25,715
- born since 1956
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other boys
Brenden vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2511
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 82% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
43% of everyone ever named Brenden was born in this single decade.
2000
Single peak year
1,394 babies were named Brenden in 2000 - its busiest year on record.
How Brenden compares
25,715 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Brenden's all-time total is 70x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brenden | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 25,715 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,394 | 23 | 22,252 |
Brenden's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Brenden's SSA record in two at 1991 and the more recent half accounts for 88% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 12%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1957, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2000 peak of 1,394, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Brenden at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2000
Current rank
#2,511
Active since
1956
Brenden popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1956–2025
- Peak year (2000)
- 1,394
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Brenden popularity over time - girls
42 total births recorded since 1986 (Brenden as girls' name)
Brenden by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Brenden's strongest decade.
10,990 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 43% of all-time use.
Brenden births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 28
1950s
28 births
- 1960s 279
1960s
279 births
- 1970s 573
1970s
573 births
- 1980s 1,864
1980s
1,864 births
- 1990s
1990s
7,930 births
- 2000s
2000s
10,990 births
- 2010s 3,592
2010s
3,592 births
- 2020s 459
2020s
459 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 10,990 births (43% of all-time use).
How Brenden 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 Brenden's total volume
Brenden vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brenden by state
Where Brenden concentrates geographically, total births since 1956
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,593 | 10.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,797 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 1,723 | 6.7% |
| #4 | New York | | 1,294 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 1,191 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 1,107 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Florida | | 984 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 933 | 3.6% |
California share of Brenden's total US births 10.1%
Even split
2,593 of 25,715 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Brenden appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brenden? ▼
Brenden has been given to 25,715 babies in the U.S. since 1956, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2511 as of the latest data. 1,394 babies were born in 2000, its single highest year.
When was Brenden most popular? ▼
Brenden was most popular in the 2000s decade with 10,990 total births. The single peak year was 2000.
Where is Brenden most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brenden are California (2,593 births), Texas (1,797 births), Michigan (1,723 births).
How long has the name Brenden been used? ▼
Brenden has been recorded in Social Security data since 1956, spanning 70 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Brenden? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brett, Brent, Brendan, Brennan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Brenden's data
- Brenden's decade-level peak was the 2000s (10,990 total births); usage has since declined to 459 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brendens (2,593 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 Brenden
Nearby Names Like Brenden
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brenden
Brett Boy
#1059 159,109 births
Brent Boy
#1653 139,799 births
Brendan Boy
#1010 91,816 births
Brennan Boy
#1058 33,258 births
Bret Boy
#4734 29,819 births
Compare Brenden side by side: Brenden vs Brett Brenden vs Brent Brenden vs Brendan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brenden
Zachery #2510
29,836 births · Peak 1993
Dashawn #2512
8,880 births · Peak 1994
Arion #2509
2,210 births · Peak 2014
Yitzchak #2513
1,458 births · Peak 2022
Akira #2508
2,020 births · Peak 1927
Idrees #2514
682 births · Peak 2021
Rivers #2507
1,888 births · Peak 2020
Ahsan #2515
904 births · Peak 2023
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, 1956–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brenden: #2511 Boys' Name - 25,715 Births, Peak 2000." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brenden. 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 Brenden 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.