Brennan
Boy name · #1004 in 2025 · Rare
Brennan ranks #1004 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 226 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #444, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,965 boys born in 2025 was named Brennan.
Babies named Brennan per year. Source: SSA.
The 109-year story
Brennan first appears in the Social Security records in 1916, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2009, when 1,464 boys were named Brennan — good for #242 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Brennan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Brennan in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Brennan is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Brennan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Brennan is most common
Geography matters for names, and Brennan is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Brennan is most common in VA (0.3 per 1,000), NC (0.3 per 1,000), TN (0.3 per 1,000), PA (0.2 per 1,000), IL (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Brennan is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Brennan
Statistically, parents drawn to Brennan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kiernan, Brendan, Brayan, Keenan, and Trenton.
KiernanBrendanBrayanKeenanTrentonBradenTiernanTristian
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Brennan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 226 | #1002 |
| 2024 | 207 | #1057 |
| 2023 | 213 | #1024 |
| 2022 | 224 | #995 |
| 2021 | 265 | #871 |
| 2020 | 315 | #764 |
| 2019 | 340 | #719 |
| 2018 | 382 | #661 |
| 2017 | 464 | #585 |
| 2016 | 549 | #534 |
| 2015 | 690 | #444 |
| 2014 | 806 | #387 |
| 2013 | 927 | #345 |
| 2012 | 1,011 | #318 |
| 2011 | 1,177 | #293 |
| 2010 | 1,279 | #270 |
| 2009 | 1,464 | #242 |
| 2008 | 1,316 | #263 |
| 2007 | 1,207 | #286 |
| 2006 | 1,116 | #299 |
| 2005 | 1,054 | #312 |
| 2004 | 1,061 | #300 |
| 2003 | 1,127 | #276 |
| 2002 | 1,121 | #273 |
| 2001 | 1,121 | #274 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Brennan a popular boy name?
Brennan ranked #1004 among boys in 2025 with 226 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #444.
When was the name Brennan most popular?
Brennan peaked in 2009, when 1,464 American boys received the name (ranked #242 that year). Since 2009 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Brennan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,965 newborn American boys was named Brennan. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
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.