Brooklyn
Girl name · #118 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Brooklyn? In official American birth records, Brooklyn has been tracked continuously since 1972, giving it 53 years of documented American history.
Brooklyn is currently the #118 girl name in the United States — 2,300 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #31, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 783 girls born in 2025 was named Brooklyn.
The 53-year story
Brooklyn first appears in the Social Security records in 1972, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2011, when 7,178 girls were named Brooklyn — good for #21 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.
Babies named Brooklyn per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Brooklyn against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Brooklyn in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Brooklyn is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Brooklyn is most common
Geography matters for names, and Brooklyn is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Brooklyn is most common in ND (4.4 per 1,000), DE (4.4 per 1,000), MS (3.8 per 1,000), ID (3.6 per 1,000), SC (3.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.8 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Brooklyn is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Brooklyn
Statistically, parents drawn to Brooklyn tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Madelyn, Madilyn, Adalyn, Gracelyn, and Adelyn.
MadelynMadilynAdalynGracelynAdelynSerenityJocelynBella
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Brooklyn | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,300 | #118 |
| 2024 | 2,500 | #107 |
| 2023 | 2,865 | #84 |
| 2022 | 3,216 | #72 |
| 2021 | 3,545 | #63 |
| 2020 | 4,032 | #54 |
| 2019 | 4,316 | #52 |
| 2018 | 4,652 | #47 |
| 2017 | 5,213 | #39 |
| 2016 | 5,971 | #34 |
| 2015 | 6,333 | #31 |
| 2014 | 6,842 | #26 |
| 2013 | 6,906 | #28 |
| 2012 | 6,796 | #29 |
| 2011 | 7,178 | #21 |
| 2010 | 6,130 | #34 |
| 2009 | 5,677 | #37 |
| 2008 | 5,317 | #48 |
| 2007 | 4,887 | #57 |
| 2006 | 4,719 | #66 |
| 2005 | 4,132 | #78 |
| 2004 | 3,266 | #101 |
| 2003 | 2,925 | #118 |
| 2002 | 2,210 | #152 |
| 2001 | 1,905 | #172 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Brooklyn?
In official American birth records, the name Brooklyn first appeared in 1972 (over 53 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 53 years.
Is Brooklyn a popular girl name?
Brooklyn ranked #118 among girls in 2025 with 2,300 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #31.
When was the name Brooklyn most popular?
Brooklyn peaked in 2011, when 7,178 American girls received the name (ranked #21 that year). Since 2011 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Brooklyn?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 783 newborn American girls was named Brooklyn. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.