Total births
15,099
Boys' name · since 1912
Brenton
Since 1912, U.S. Social Security records show 15,099 babies named Brenton, peaking in 1984. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1960
- among boys today
- 15,099
- born since 1912
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Brenton currently ranks #1960 among boys' names in America, with 15,099 babies recorded since 1912.
Brenton has 15,099 recorded births among boys since 1912, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1960 as of the latest data, more common than 86% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #1960 among boys today
- 15,099 born since 1912
- 1980s peak decade
- 86% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brenton is currently the #1960 boys' name in America, more common than 86% of boys - 15,099 born since 1912, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1960
- among boys today
- 15,099
- born since 1912
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other boys
Brenton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1960
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 86% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Brenton was born in this single decade.
1984
Single peak year
799 babies were named Brenton in 1984 - its busiest year on record.
How Brenton compares
15,099 Top 7% higher than 93% 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
Brenton's all-time total is 41x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brenton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 15,099 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 799 | 23 | 22,252 |
Brenton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Brenton splits its recorded history at 1971: 89% of all births land in the more recent half, 11% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1923 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1984 peak of 799 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Brenton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1984
Current rank
#1,960
Active since
1912
Brenton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1984)
- 799
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Brenton popularity over time - girls
18 total births recorded since 1984 (Brenton as girls' name)
Brenton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Brenton's strongest decade.
4,335 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Brenton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 40
1910s
40 births
- 1920s 98
1920s
98 births
- 1930s 116
1930s
116 births
- 1940s 215
1940s
215 births
- 1950s 311
1950s
311 births
- 1960s 721
1960s
721 births
- 1970s 1,608
1970s
1,608 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,335 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,222 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,074 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,848 births
- 2020s 511
2020s
511 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 4,335 births (29% of all-time use).
How Brenton 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 Brenton's total volume
Brenton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brenton by state
Where Brenton concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,229 | 8.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 966 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 761 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 674 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 640 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 526 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 498 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 431 | 2.9% |
California share of Brenton's total US births 8.1%
Even split
1,229 of 15,099 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Brenton appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brenton? ▼
Brenton has been given to 15,099 babies in the U.S. since 1912, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1960 as of the latest data. 799 babies were born in 1984, its single highest year.
When was Brenton most popular? ▼
Brenton was most popular in the 1980s decade with 4,335 total births. The single peak year was 1984.
Where is Brenton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brenton are California (1,229 births), Texas (966 births), Georgia (761 births).
How long has the name Brenton been used? ▼
Brenton has been recorded in Social Security data since 1912, spanning 114 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Brenton? ▼
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 Brenton's data
- Brenton's decade-level peak was the 1980s (4,335 total births); usage has since declined to 511 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brentons (1,229 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 Brenton
Nearby Names Like Brenton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brenton
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 Brenton side by side: Brenton vs Brett Brenton vs Brent Brenton vs Brendan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brenton
Jennings #1959
4,878 births · Peak 1926
Flint #1961
2,601 births · Peak 1959
Eliott #1958
2,096 births · Peak 2024
Darell #1962
5,420 births · Peak 1988
Freddie #1957
73,315 births · Peak 1947
Austen #1963
8,125 births · Peak 1995
Ayce #1956
840 births · Peak 2021
Donte #1964
15,695 births · Peak 1997
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. "Brenton: #1960 Boys' Name - 15,099 Births, Peak 1984." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brenton. 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 Brenton 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.