Bradley
Boy name · #403 in 2025 · Uniqueness 64/100
Bradley is currently the #403 boy name in the United States — 794 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #173, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,267 boys born in 2025 was named Bradley.
The 145-year story
Bradley first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1980, when 7,210 boys were named Bradley — good for #51 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Bradley per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bradley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bradley in class?
Bradley scores 64 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Bradley is most common
Geography matters for names, and Bradley is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Bradleys were TX (76), CA (66), FL (64), NY (43), TN (34). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Bradley
Statistically, parents drawn to Bradley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Casey, Bryan, Jeremy, Corey, and Jeffrey.
CaseyBryanJeremyCoreyJeffreyBrianMarioDerrick
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bradley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 794 | #403 |
| 2024 | 910 | #362 |
| 2023 | 908 | #359 |
| 2022 | 952 | #345 |
| 2021 | 1,074 | #313 |
| 2020 | 1,237 | #273 |
| 2019 | 1,443 | #253 |
| 2018 | 1,496 | #247 |
| 2017 | 1,649 | #230 |
| 2016 | 2,054 | #197 |
| 2015 | 2,402 | #173 |
| 2014 | 2,330 | #183 |
| 2013 | 2,330 | #176 |
| 2012 | 2,300 | #169 |
| 2011 | 2,161 | #177 |
| 2010 | 1,995 | #185 |
| 2009 | 1,951 | #196 |
| 2008 | 1,953 | #201 |
| 2007 | 2,075 | #194 |
| 2006 | 2,137 | #188 |
| 2005 | 2,409 | #173 |
| 2004 | 2,308 | #176 |
| 2003 | 2,394 | #165 |
| 2002 | 2,645 | #149 |
| 2001 | 2,729 | #145 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Bradley a popular boy name?
Bradley ranked #403 among boys in 2025 with 794 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #173.
When was the name Bradley most popular?
Bradley peaked in 1980, when 7,210 American boys received the name (ranked #51 that year). Since 1980 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Bradley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,267 newborn American boys was named Bradley. It scores 64/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.