Boys' name · since 1926
Bret
Since 1926, U.S. Social Security records show 29,819 babies named Bret, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #681 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,896 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 29,819
- born since 1926
- 1960s
- peak decade
Yes -- Bret is the #4896 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 29,819 recorded since 1926.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bret has been recorded 29,819 times among boys since 1926, currently ranked #4896 nationally and more common than 65% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1926 to 2025.
- #681 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,896 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 29,819 born since 1926
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bret ranks #681 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,896 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 29,819 born since 1926, peaking in the 1960s.
- #681 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,896 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 29,819
- born since 1926
- 1960s
- peak decade
Bret's 29,819 recorded births place it above 98.5% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
49 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Bret compares
29,819 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
Bret's all-time total is 81x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bret | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,819 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,839 | 34 | 22,252 |
Bret's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bret's SSA record in two at 1983 and the more recent half accounts for 33% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 67%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1926, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 1,839, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bret popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1926–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 1,839
- Annual births at peak, across 100 years of records
Bret popularity over time - girls
232 total births recorded since 1968 (Bret as girls' name)
Bret by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (8,415 births, 28% of the file).
1960s was Bret's strongest decade.
8,415 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Bret births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1940s 133
1940s
133 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,963 births
- 1960s
1960s
8,415 births
- 1970s
1970s
5,536 births
- 1980s
1980s
5,581 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,007 births
- 2000s 1,618
2000s
1,618 births
- 2010s 431
2010s
431 births
- 2020s 130
2020s
130 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 8,415 births (28% of all-time use).
How Bret 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 Bret's total volume
Bret by state
Where Bret concentrates geographically, total births since 1926
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,880 | 13.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 1,825 | 6.1% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 1,545 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Texas | | 1,532 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 1,210 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 1,198 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 1,157 | 3.9% |
| #8 | New York | | 1,041 | 3.5% |
3,880 of 29,819 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Bret appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bret? ▼
Where does Bret sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Bret most popular? ▼
Where is Bret most popular? ▼
How long has the name Bret been used? ▼
What names are similar to Bret? ▼
What to do with Bret's data
- Bret's decade-level peak was the 1960s (8,415 total births); usage has since declined to 130 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brets (3,880 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 Bret
Nearby Names Like Bret
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bret
Compare Bret side by side: Bret vs Brett Bret vs Brent Bret vs Brendan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bret
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bret: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1959)
Similar record span (~99 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, 1926–2025 (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 Bret 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.