Brennan
Boy nameBrennan has been given to 35,487 babies in the U.S. since 1916. It peaked in 2009.
Meaning & origin
From Irish Ó Braonáin (“descendant of Braonán”), a diminutive of braon (“moisture, drop”). Alternatively, from Irish Ó Branáin (“descendant of Branán”), a diminutive of bran (“raven”).
Origin: surnames
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
35,487
Peak year
2009 (1,550 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1916
10-year trend
▼ -68%
Gender split
6% girls / 94% boys
Rank through the decades
Brennan's rank among U.S. boy names at 25-year milestones.
| Year | Boys rank |
|---|---|
| 1975 | #823 |
| 2000 | #276 |
— means outside the top 1000 that year.
Spellings & variants
Names one letter away from Brennan — alternate spellings parents actually use.
Famous people named Brennan
Brennan Johnson
Welsh-English association football player (born 2001)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Brennan.
FAQ
How popular is the name Brennan?
Brennan has been given to 35,487 babies in the U.S. since 1916. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Brennan peak?
Brennan peaked in 2009, when 1,550 babies were given the name.
Is Brennan a girl or boy name?
Brennan is primarily a boy name (94% of babies named Brennan are boys).
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