Brent
Brent was the 1509th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 116 babies. Its best year was 1971, when it ranked 73rd; the most babies were born in 1970 (4,269). Over the last ten years it has moved down 634 places. More babies were named Brent in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning steep (hill) · English, Old English
Say it BRENT /bɹɛnt/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,509 boys, down 244 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 116boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19704,269 babies
- Total since 1880
- 140,366babies recorded
What does the name Brent mean?
Brent is an English surname from place names in Devon and Somerset, from Old English brant 'steep', referring to hills, as Wiktionary notes; the River Brent in London has a separate Celtic name. It became a given name in the 20th century and was popular in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.
brant (Old English, “steep”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Brant, Brenton, Brett.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brent', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Brent popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 567 since 1947.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,509 | 116 |
| 2020 | #1,265 | 145 |
| 2010 | #655 | 368 |
| 2000 | #319 | 900 |
| 1990 | #127 | 2,608 |
| 1980 | #84 | 3,537 |
| 1970 | #74 | 4,269 |
| 1960 | #154 | 2,261 |
| 1950 | #212 | 908 |
| 1940 | #336 | 288 |
| 1930 | #1,337 | 29 |
| 1920 | #1,648 | 22 |
| 1910 | #1,620 | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Brent, counting every spelling?
Brent has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,420 for boys in 2025, against #1,509 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Brent?
116 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brent (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Brent 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 72 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brent.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brent?
About 120,400 people born in the US named Brent are alive today, with a median age of 48; half are between 38 and 58. That makes Brent mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Brent by state
How common Brent was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (3.5×). In 31 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 Brent: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brent, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Brent · Sibling names for Brent
Questions about the name Brent
What does Brent mean?
Brent means “steep (hill)” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Brent?
Brent was the 1509th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 116 babies. Its best year was 1971, when it ranked 73rd; the most babies were born in 1970 (4,269). Over the last ten years it has moved down 634 places. More babies were named Brent in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Brent a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Brent in the US.
Where is Brent most popular?
In 2021–2025, Brent was most common in Louisiana (0.25 per 1,000 boys), followed by West Virginia and Florida.