Total births
165
Unisex name · since 2003
Brighten
165 babies named Brighten in U.S. Social Security records since 2003, with the highest year being 2010. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10449
- among boys today
- 165
- born since 2003
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 27%
- more common than other boys
165 babies have been named Brighten since 2003, making it today's #10449 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Brighten recorded 165 times among boys since 2003, holding rank #10449 nationally today, ahead of 27% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2003 to 2024.
- #10449 among boys today
- 165 born since 2003
- 2010s peak decade
- 27% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brighten is currently the #10449 unisex name in America, more common than 27% of boys - 165 born since 2003, peaking in the 2010s.
- #10449
- among boys today
- 165
- born since 2003
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 27%
- more common than other boys
Brighten vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10449
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 27% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
55% of everyone ever named Brighten was born in this single decade.
2010
Single peak year
15 babies were named Brighten in 2010 - its busiest year on record.
How Brighten compares
165 35th percentile among 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
Brighten's all-time total is 55% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brighten | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 165 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 15 | 23 | 22,252 |
Brighten's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Brighten splits its recorded history at 2015: 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 2004 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2010 peak of 15 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Brighten at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2010
Current rank
#10,449
Active since
2003
Brighten popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2003–2024
- Peak year (2010)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 22 years of records
Brighten popularity over time - girls
98 total births recorded since 2000 (Brighten as girls' name)
Brighten by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Brighten's strongest decade.
91 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 55% of all-time use.
Brighten births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 36
2000s
36 births
- 2010s
2010s
91 births
- 2020s
2020s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 91 births (55% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brighten? ▼
165 babies have been named Brighten since 2003. It currently ranks #10449 among boys. The peak year was 2010 with 15 births.
When was Brighten most popular? ▼
Brighten was most popular in the 2010s decade with 91 total births. The single peak year was 2010.
Is Brighten a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Brighten is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 165 births, and as a girl's name it has 98 births.
How long has the name Brighten been used? ▼
Records for Brighten go back to 2003, giving 22 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Brighten? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brian, Brice, Briggs, Bridger, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Brighten's data
- Brighten's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (91 total births) through the 2020s (38) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Brighten
Nearby Names Like Brighten
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brighten
Brian Boy
#302 1,173,735 births
Brice Boy
#2446 15,737 births
Briggs Boy
#327 9,377 births
Bridger Boy
#790 6,873 births
Briar Boy
#698 6,347 births
Compare Brighten side by side: Brighten vs Brian Brighten vs Brice Brighten vs Briggs
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brighten
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, 2003–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brighten: #10449 Unisex Name - 165 Births, Peak 2010." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brighten. 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 Brighten 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.