Brantley
Brantley was the 499th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 606 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 119th; the most babies were born in 2014 (3,353). Over the last ten years it has moved down 377 places. More babies were named Brantley in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · German, American English
Say it BRANT-lee /ˈbræntli/
- Rank in 2025
- #499 boys, down 266 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 606boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20143,353 babies
- Total since 1880
- 32,435babies recorded
What does the name Brantley mean?
Brantley is an American surname. Wiktionary derives it from Alemannic German Brändle or Brändli, "little firebrand", anglicized by immigrants; the English-looking -ley ending may also suggest an English place name, but none is documented. It was rare as a first name until the 2010s, when its use rose sharply, a period that coincides with the country singer Brantley Gilbert's success.
Brändle (Alemannic German, “little firebrand”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The German derivation rests on one source; other origins for individual families are possible.
Related names: Brantlee, Brant.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brantley', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
Brantley popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 801 since 1971, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #499 | 606 |
| 2020 | #233 | 1,580 |
| 2010 | #736 | 311 |
| 2000 | #1,431 | 86 |
| 1990 | #1,409 | 63 |
| 1980 | #1,596 | 37 |
| 1970 | #1,802 | 24 |
| 1960 | #1,865 | 19 |
| 1950 | #1,946 | 15 |
| 1940 | #1,992 | 13 |
| 1930 | #2,459 | 11 |
| 1920 | #2,794 | 10 |
| 1910 | #1,439 | 6 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Brantley, counting every spelling?
Brantley is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #472 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #499 for Brantley on its own. Together these spellings went to 649 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brantley | 606 | #499 | 4,511 |
| Brantlee | 38 | #3,139 | 346 |
| Brantly | 5 | #12,311 | 40 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Brantley?
606 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brantley (0.17 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Brantley born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brantley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brantley?
About 30,900 people born in the US named Brantley are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 8 and 13. That makes Brantley a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Brantley by state
How common Brantley was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (5.9×), Kentucky (3.1×), Maine (2.9×), Alabama (2.7×), Mississippi (2.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, New Jersey, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Brantley: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brantley, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Brantley · Sibling names for Brantley
Questions about the name Brantley
What does Brantley mean?
The origin of Brantley is uncertain: the German derivation rests on one source; other origins for individual families are possible.
How popular is the name Brantley?
Brantley was the 499th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 606 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 119th; the most babies were born in 2014 (3,353). Over the last ten years it has moved down 377 places. More babies were named Brantley in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Brantley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Brantley in the US.
Where is Brantley most popular?
In 2021–2025, Brantley was most common in West Virginia (3.09 per 1,000 boys), followed by Vermont and Kentucky.