Total births
159,109
Boys' name · since 1926
Brett
159,109 babies named Brett in U.S. Social Security records since 1926, with the highest year being 1986. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1059
- among boys today
- 159,109
- born since 1926
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
159,109 babies have been named Brett since 1926, making it today's #1059 boys' name.
Brett has 159,109 recorded births among boys since 1926, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1059 as of the latest data, more common than 93% 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 1926 to 2025.
- #1059 among boys today
- 159,109 born since 1926
- 1980s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brett is currently the #1059 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 159,109 born since 1926, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1059
- among boys today
- 159,109
- born since 1926
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Brett vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1059
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Brett was born in this single decade.
1986
Single peak year
4,729 babies were named Brett in 1986 - its busiest year on record.
How Brett compares
159,109 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
Brett's all-time total is 434x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brett | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 159,109 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 4,729 | 23 | 22,252 |
Brett's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Brett's full recorded timeline at 1979, 63% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 37% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1926, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1986 peak of 4,729 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Brett at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1986
Current rank
#1,059
Active since
1926
Brett popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1926–2025
- Peak year (1986)
- 4,729
- Annual births at peak, across 100 years of records
Brett popularity over time - girls
3,404 total births recorded since 1950 (Brett as girls' name)
Brett by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Brett's strongest decade.
41,289 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Brett births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1930s 38
1930s
38 births
- 1940s 547
1940s
547 births
- 1950s 7,255
1950s
7,255 births
- 1960s
1960s
25,835 births
- 1970s
1970s
28,922 births
- 1980s
1980s
41,289 births
- 1990s
1990s
35,422 births
- 2000s 14,659
2000s
14,659 births
- 2010s 3,947
2010s
3,947 births
- 2020s 1,185
2020s
1,185 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 41,289 births (26% of all-time use).
How Brett 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 Brett's total volume
Brett vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brett by state
Where Brett concentrates geographically, total births since 1926
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 16,095 | 10.1% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 9,067 | 5.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 8,888 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 8,378 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 8,267 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Texas | | 7,813 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 7,302 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Florida | | 5,931 | 3.7% |
California share of Brett's total US births 10.1%
Even split
16,095 of 159,109 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Brett appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brett? ▼
159,109 babies have been named Brett since 1926. It currently ranks #1059 among boys. The peak year was 1986 with 4,729 births.
When was Brett most popular? ▼
Brett was most popular in the 1980s decade with 41,289 total births. The single peak year was 1986.
Where is Brett most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brett are California (16,095 births), Illinois (9,067 births), New York (8,888 births).
How long has the name Brett been used? ▼
Records for Brett go back to 1926, giving 100 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Brett? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brent, Brendan, Brennan, Bret, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Brett's data
- Brett's decade-level peak was the 1980s (41,289 total births); usage has since declined to 1,185 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Bretts (16,095 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 Brett
Nearby Names Like Brett
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brett
Brent Boy
#1653 139,799 births
Brendan Boy
#1010 91,816 births
Brennan Boy
#1058 33,258 births
Bret Boy
#4734 29,819 births
Brenden Boy
#2511 25,715 births
Compare Brett side by side: Brett vs Brent Brett vs Brendan Brett vs Brennan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brett
Brennan #1058
33,258 births · Peak 2009
Caius #1060
2,329 births · Peak 2025
Howard #1057
346,666 births · Peak 1921
Syncere #1061
3,134 births · Peak 2022
Mael #1056
1,353 births · Peak 2023
Oziel #1062
2,718 births · Peak 2025
Hollis #1055
16,014 births · Peak 1921
Isai #1063
7,340 births · Peak 2007
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, 1926–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brett: #1059 Boys' Name - 159,109 Births, Peak 1986." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brett. 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 Brett 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.