Braxton
Braxton was the 172nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,131 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 118th; the most babies were born in 2014 (3,364). Over the last ten years it has moved down 51 places. More babies were named Braxton in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English
Say it BRAK-stuhn /ˈbrækstən/
- Rank in 2025
- #172 boys, down 41 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,131boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20143,364 babies
- Total since 1880
- 66,654babies recorded
What does the name Braxton mean?
Braxton is an English surname. Wiktionary suggests it may come from the village of Branxton in Northumberland, which would make it a place name ending in Old English tun, 'farmstead, settlement'. Wikipedia mentions the glosses 'badger' and 'Brock's town', but these are not explained, and the first element is not established. As a boy's first name Braxton is a modern American transfer from the surname.
tūn (Old English, “farmstead, settlement”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Possibly from Branxton (Northumberland); the first element's meaning is not established.
Related names: Brax, Braxten.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Braxton', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Braxton (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Braxton
The usual nicknames for Braxton are Brax.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brax | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Braxtons go by each one.
Braxton popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 823 since 1994, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #172 | 2,131 |
| 2020 | #131 | 2,785 |
| 2010 | #170 | 2,293 |
| 2000 | #337 | 814 |
| 1990 | #717 | 201 |
| 1980 | #1,697 | 34 |
| 1970 | #1,944 | 21 |
| 1960 | #2,136 | 15 |
| 1950 | #1,947 | 15 |
| 1940 | #1,578 | 19 |
| 1930 | #1,538 | 23 |
| 1920 | #1,546 | 24 |
| 1910 | #1,329 | 7 |
| 1900 | #1,338 | 5 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Braxton, counting every spelling?
Braxton is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #176 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #172 for Braxton on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,293 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braxton | 2,131 | #172 | 11,430 |
| Braxtyn | 82 | #1,906 | 531 |
| Braxten | 48 | #2,682 | 279 |
| Braxtin | 14 | #6,187 | 72 |
| Braxxton | 7 | #9,854 | 44 |
| Braxston | 11 | #7,265 | 41 |
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 Braxton?
2,131 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Braxton (0.59 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Braxton 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 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Braxton.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Braxton?
About 64,200 people born in the US named Braxton are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 7 and 18. That makes Braxton 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.
Braxton by state
How common Braxton was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (3.8×), Mississippi (2.8×), Arkansas (2.7×), Montana (2.6×), Kentucky (2.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Braxton: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Braxton, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Braxton · Sibling names for Braxton
Questions about the name Braxton
What does Braxton mean?
The origin of Braxton is uncertain: Possibly from Branxton (Northumberland); the first element's meaning is not established.
How popular is the name Braxton?
Braxton was the 172nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,131 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 118th; the most babies were born in 2014 (3,364). Over the last ten years it has moved down 51 places. More babies were named Braxton in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Braxton a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Braxton in the US.
Where is Braxton most popular?
In 2021–2025, Braxton was most common in West Virginia (5.08 per 1,000 boys), followed by Mississippi and Arkansas.