Boys' name · since 1958
Bretton
Since 1958, U.S. Social Security records show 1,106 babies named Bretton, peaking in 1987. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,810 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,286 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,106
- born since 1958
- 1990s
- peak decade
Bretton currently ranks #7286 among boys' names in America, with 1,106 babies recorded since 1958.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bretton has been recorded 1,106 times among boys since 1958, currently ranked #7286 nationally and more common than 48% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1958 to 2025.
- #4,810 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #7,286 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,106 born since 1958
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bretton ranks #4,810 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,286 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,106 born since 1958, peaking in the 1990s.
- #4,810 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,286 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,106
- born since 1958
- 1990s
- peak decade
Bretton's 1,106 recorded births place it above 89.41% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Bretton compares
1,106 Top 30% higher than 70% 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
Bretton's all-time total is 200% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bretton | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,106 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 36 | 34 | 22,252 |
Bretton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Bretton splits its recorded history at 1993: 54% of all births land in the more recent half, 46% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1965 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1987 peak of 36 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Bretton popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1958–2025
- Peak year (1987)
- 36
- Annual births at peak, across 68 years of records
Bretton by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (282 births, 25% of the file).
1990s was Bretton's strongest decade.
282 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Bretton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 19
1950s
19 births
- 1960s 65
1960s
65 births
- 1970s
1970s
124 births
- 1980s
1980s
217 births
- 1990s
1990s
282 births
- 2000s
2000s
174 births
- 2010s
2010s
173 births
- 2020s 52
2020s
52 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 282 births (25% of all-time use).
How Bretton 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 Bretton's total volume
Bretton by state
Where Bretton concentrates geographically, total births since 1958
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 19 | 1.7% |
| #2 | Michigan | | 11 | 1.0% |
19 of 1,106 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Bretton's data
- Bretton's decade-level peak was the 1990s (282 total births); usage has since declined to 52 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brettons (19 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 Bretton
Nearby Names Like Bretton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bretton
Compare Bretton side by side: Bretton vs Brett Bretton vs Brent Bretton vs Brendan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bretton
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bretton: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1987)
Similar record span (~67 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, 1958–2025 (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 Bretton 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.