Unisex name · since 1916
Brennan
Since 1916, U.S. Social Security records show 33,258 babies named Brennan, peaking in 2009. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #642 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,004 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 33,258
- born since 1916
- 2000s
- peak decade
33,258 babies have been named Brennan since 1916, making it today's #1004 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Brennan has been recorded 33,258 times among boys since 1916, currently ranked #1004 nationally and more common than 93% 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 1916 to 2025.
- #642 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,004 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 33,258 born since 1916
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Brennan ranks #642 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,004 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 33,258 born since 1916, peaking in the 2000s.
- #642 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,004 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 33,258
- born since 1916
- 2000s
- peak decade
Brennan's 33,258 recorded births place it above 98.58% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
50 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Brennan compares
33,258 Top 5% higher than 95% of 13,930 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
Brennan's all-time total is 90x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brennan | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 33,258 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,464 | 34 | 22,252 |
Brennan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Brennan's full recorded timeline at 1987, 92% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 8% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1916, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2009 peak of 1,464 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Brennan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 1,464
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Brennan popularity over time - girls
2,229 total births recorded since 1973 (Brennan as girls' name)
Brennan by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (11,745 births, 35% of the file).
2000s was Brennan's strongest decade.
11,745 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Brennan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1950s 80
1950s
80 births
- 1960s 394
1960s
394 births
- 1970s 934
1970s
934 births
- 1980s 2,719
1980s
2,719 births
- 1990s
1990s
8,300 births
- 2000s
2000s
11,745 births
- 2010s
2010s
7,625 births
- 2020s 1,450
2020s
1,450 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 11,745 births (35% of all-time use).
How Brennan 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 Brennan's total volume
Brennan by state
Where Brennan concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 2,702 | 8.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,012 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 1,906 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 1,731 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 1,551 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 1,456 | 4.4% |
| #7 | New York | | 1,348 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,314 | 4.0% |
2,702 of 33,258 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Brennan appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brennan? ▼
Where does Brennan sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Brennan most popular? ▼
Where is Brennan most popular? ▼
Is Brennan a unisex name? ▼
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What names are similar to Brennan? ▼
What to do with Brennan's data
- Brennan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (11,745 total births); usage has since declined to 1,450 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brennans (2,702 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Brennan
Nearby Names Like Brennan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brennan
Compare Brennan side by side: Brennan vs Brett Brennan vs Brent Brennan vs Brendan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brennan
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Brennan: 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 (~109 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, 1916–2025 (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 Brennan 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.