Brennan
Brennan was the 1003rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 226 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 242nd with 1,464 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 559 places. More babies were named Brennan in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Irish "drop" or "raven" · Irish
Say it BREN-un /ˈbrɛnən/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,003 boys, down 239 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 226boys
- Girls and boys
- 8% girls, 92% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20091,464 babies
- Total since 1880
- 35,487babies recorded
What does the name Brennan mean?
Brennan is an Irish surname, from Ó Braonáin, "descendant of Braonán". Wiktionary and Wikipedia give two explanations of the personal name: a diminutive of braon, "drop (of moisture)", or of bran, "raven". It also overlaps with Brendan. As a first name it is mostly American and was most popular in the late 2000s.
braon (Irish, “drop, moisture”)bran (Irish, “raven”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two possible roots are given for the Irish personal name.
Related names: Brendan, Brennen, Brenna.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brennan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Brennan (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Brennan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,557 | #1,003 | 10 | 226 |
| 2020 | #4,282 | #764 | 32 | 315 |
| 2010 | #2,344 | #270 | 81 | 1,279 |
| 2000 | #3,222 | #276 | 42 | 1,158 |
| 1990 | #2,805 | #383 | 41 | 606 |
| 1980 | #3,519 | #737 | 23 | 142 |
| 1970 | — | #932 | — | 73 |
| 1960 | — | #1,978 | — | 17 |
| 1950 | — | #3,364 | — | 6 |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Brennan, counting every spelling?
Brennan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #861 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,003 for Brennan on its own. Together these spellings went to 267 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brennan | 226 | #1,003 | 1,135 |
| Brennen | 20 | #4,882 | 177 |
| Brennon | 16 | #5,648 | 170 |
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 Brennan?
226 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brennan (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Brennan 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 37 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brennan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brennan?
About 32,400 people born in the US named Brennan are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 16 and 30. That makes Brennan 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.
Brennan by state
How common Brennan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (4.5×), Mississippi (2.7×), Tennessee (1.8×), Virginia (1.7×), Pennsylvania (1.6×). In 19 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Brennan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brennan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Brennan · Sibling names for Brennan
Questions about the name Brennan
What does Brennan mean?
Brennan is usually explained as “Irish "drop" or "raven"”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Brennan?
Brennan was the 1003rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 226 babies. Its best year was 2009, when it ranked 242nd with 1,464 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 559 places. More babies were named Brennan in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Brennan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 8% girls, 92% boys given the name Brennan in the US.
Where is Brennan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Brennan was most common in Louisiana (0.60 per 1,000 boys), followed by Mississippi and Tennessee.