Brayden
Brayden was the 229th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,545 babies. Its best year was 2011, when it ranked 36th; the most babies were born in 2010 (9,122). Over the last ten years it has moved down 168 places. More babies were named Brayden in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning salmon (via Braden) · Irish
Say it BRAY-duhn /ˈbreɪdən/
- Rank in 2025
- #229 boys, down 118 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,545boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20109,122 babies
- Total since 1880
- 137,606babies recorded
What does the name Brayden mean?
Brayden is a modern spelling of Braden, which Wiktionary derives from the Irish surname Ó Bradáin, 'descendant of Bradán', a personal name from bradán, 'salmon'. Wikipedia lists Braden, Braeden and Braydon among its spellings and describes the name as Irish or Scottish. The -ayden spelling became popular in the US with rhyming names such as Aidan, Jayden and Hayden. Like those names, it is chosen mostly for its sound.
Ó Bradáin (Irish, “descendant of Bradán”)bradán (Irish, “salmon”)
How sure is this? Probable. Braden may also have English place-name origins; the Irish 'salmon' source is the dictionary view.
Related names: Braden, Braydon, Braeden, Bradyn.
See also: Irish names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Braden', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Brayden', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Brayden
The usual nicknames for Brayden are Bray. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Brayden in the last five years, 2 were named Bray, against fewer than 1 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bray | Modern | #2,770 | 194 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Braydens go by each one.
Brayden popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,058 since 1993.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #229 | 1,545 |
| 2020 | #111 | 3,294 |
| 2010 | #40 | 9,122 |
| 2000 | #199 | 1,760 |
| 1990 | #1,042 | 103 |
| 1980 | #3,279 | 13 |
| 1970 | #4,288 | 6 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Brayden, counting every spelling?
Brayden is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #221 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #229 for Brayden on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,764 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brayden | 1,545 | #229 | 11,193 |
| Braydon | 90 | #1,778 | 649 |
| Braiden | 44 | #2,842 | 351 |
| Braeden | 35 | #3,319 | 301 |
| Braedyn | 17 | #5,423 | 107 |
| Braedon | 12 | #6,861 | 70 |
| Braydan | 9 | #8,358 | 59 |
| Braydin | 5 | #12,314 | 50 |
| Braydyn | 7 | #9,855 | 38 |
| Braidyn | — | — | 30 |
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 Brayden?
1,545 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brayden (0.43 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Brayden 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 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brayden.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brayden?
About 135,000 people born in the US named Brayden are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 11 and 19. That makes Brayden mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Brayden by state
How common Brayden was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (2.4×), Hawaii (2.3×), Rhode Island (2.1×), Mississippi (2.0×), Connecticut (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in North Dakota, Utah, Montana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Brayden: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brayden, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Brayden · Sibling names for Brayden
Questions about the name Brayden
What does Brayden mean?
Brayden means “salmon (via Braden)” (Irish origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Brayden?
Brayden was the 229th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,545 babies. Its best year was 2011, when it ranked 36th; the most babies were born in 2010 (9,122). Over the last ten years it has moved down 168 places. More babies were named Brayden in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Brayden a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Brayden in the US.
Where is Brayden most popular?
In 2021–2025, Brayden was most common in Delaware (3.10 per 1,000 boys), followed by Hawaii and Rhode Island.