Boy
Brendan
prince, little raven
About Brendan
Brendan embodies approachable charm wrapped in Celtic heritage and gentle strength. This name has weathered centuries while maintaining freshness and versatility, appealing to parents across cultural backgrounds. The two syllables roll off comfortably, neither too short to feel incomplete nor too long to become cumbersome. There's an inherent friendliness to Brendan that makes people smile when they hear it, yet it maintains enough substance to command professional respect. The name suggests someone thoughtful and kind, yet capable and confident—qualities any parent would hope to nurture. Brendan works beautifully from childhood through adulthood, never feeling too juvenile or overly mature. It pairs well with virtually any surname and offers nickname options like Bren for more casual moments. Parents who select Brendan often value balance: a name that's recognizable without being overused, traditional without being stuffy, and warm without being too soft.
Popularity of the Name Brendan
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | #990 | ||||
| 1941 | #972 | ||||
| 1943 | #899 | ||||
| 1945 | #928 | ||||
| 1946 | #952 | ||||
| 1948 | #974 | #177 | |||
| 1949 | #969 | ||||
| 1950 | #879 | #169 | |||
| 1951 | #949 | #155 | |||
| 1952 | #864 | #188 | |||
| 1953 | #812 | #185 | |||
| 1954 | #893 | #171 | |||
| 1955 | #735 | #164 | |||
| 1956 | #691 | #170 | |||
| 1957 | #638 | #170 | |||
| 1958 | #684 | #162 | |||
| 1959 | #585 | #156 | |||
| 1960 | #538 | #141 | |||
| 1961 | #513 | #112 | |||
| 1962 | #510 | #131 | |||
| 1963 | #513 | #109 | |||
| 1964 | #466 | #104 | #17 | ||
| 1965 | #439 | #99 | #16 | ||
| 1966 | #339 | #89 | #16 | ||
| 1967 | #356 | #92 | #16 | ||
| 1968 | #349 | #84 | #19 | ||
| 1969 | #364 | #66 | #21 | ||
| 1970 | #336 | #64 | #21 | ||
| 1971 | #336 | #70 | #21 | ||
| 1972 | #343 | #97 | #23 | ||
| 1973 | #319 | #81 | #22 | ||
| 1974 | #292 | #63 | #27 | ||
| 1975 | #292 | #67 | #24 | ||
| 1976 | #244 | #66 | #19 | ||
| 1977 | #258 | #95 | #22 | ||
| 1978 | #235 | #86 | #21 | ||
| 1979 | #230 | #66 | #23 | ||
| 1980 | #219 | #69 | #26 | ||
| 1981 | #215 | #69 | #29 | ||
| 1982 | #206 | #53 | #30 | ||
| 1983 | #191 | #73 | #33 | ||
| 1984 | #188 | #75 | #32 | ||
| 1985 | #185 | #76 | #37 | ||
| 1986 | #185 | #82 | #38 | ||
| 1987 | #156 | #89 | #36 | ||
| 1988 | #153 | #82 | #39 | ||
| 1989 | #145 | #95 | #39 | ||
| 1990 | #155 | #94 | #50 | ||
| 1991 | #147 | #94 | #53 | #82 | |
| 1992 | #145 | #98 | #52 | #84 | |
| 1993 | #145 | #102 | #54 | #83 | |
| 1994 | #129 | #132 | #54 | #82 | |
| 1995 | #133 | #147 | #64 | #87 | |
| 1996 | #131 | #177 | #60 | #84 | |
| 1997 | #107 | #150 | #171 | #73 | #72 |
| 1998 | #99 | #146 | #281 | #78 | #68 |
| 1999 | #96 | #148 | #169 | #84 | #73 |
| 2000 | #101 | #146 | #163 | #76 | #82 |
| 2001 | #115 | #173 | #186 | #90 | #94 |
| 2002 | #124 | #178 | #191 | #84 | #97 |
| 2003 | #141 | #204 | #339 | #81 | #120 |
| 2004 | #150 | #241 | #345 | #104 | #121 |
| 2005 | #176 | #245 | #348 | #119 | #148 |
| 2006 | #185 | #258 | #355 | #112 | #196 |
| 2007 | #205 | #274 | #145 | #181 | |
| 2008 | #207 | #357 | #149 | #237 | |
| 2009 | #212 | #327 | #167 | #272 | |
| 2010 | #231 | #397 | #154 | #256 | |
| 2011 | #263 | #428 | #164 | #279 | |
| 2012 | #301 | #436 | #152 | #400 | |
| 2013 | #326 | #516 | #199 | #360 | |
| 2014 | #352 | #594 | #215 | #383 | |
| 2015 | #387 | #632 | #228 | #388 | |
| 2016 | #450 | #805 | #247 | #502 | |
| 2017 | #517 | #702 | #221 | #558 | |
| 2018 | #562 | #727 | #224 | #712 | |
| 2019 | #638 | #881 | #278 | #680 | |
| 2020 | #722 | #198 | #596 | ||
| 2021 | #767 | #285 | #974 | ||
| 2022 | #881 | #201 | |||
| 2023 | #888 | #283 | |||
| 1947 | #189 | ||||
| 2024 | #384 | ||||
| 2025 | #394 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Brendan
Names Similar to Brendan
Nicknames for Brendan
- Bren
- Brendo
- Benny
- B
Famous People Named Brendan
| Brendan Fraser | Canadian-American actor |
| Brendan Shanahan | Canadian ice hockey player |
| Brendan Behan | Irish playwright |
| Brendan Cole | New Zealand-born British dancer |
| Brendan Perry | English musician |
| Brendan Nelson | Australian politician |
| Brendan Haywood | American basketball player |
| Brendan O'Carroll | Irish comedian |
| Brendan Hansen | American swimmer |
| Brendan Powell | British jockey |
| Brendan Gaughan | American race car driver |
| Brendan Benson | American musician |
| Brendan Eich | American technologist |
| Brendan Morrison | Canadian ice hockey player |
| Brendan Rodgers | American baseball coach |
| Brendan Taylor | Zimbabwean cricketer |
| Brendan O'Hare | Scottish drummer |
| Brendan Gleeson | Australian rugby league player |
Characters Named Brendan
| Brendan Brady | Hollyoaks character |
| Brendan Frye | Brick |
| Brendan Fraser | Bedazzled |
| Brendan Block | The Rules of Attraction |
| Brendan Lawlor | The Commitments |
| Brendan Williams | High Art |
| Brendan Harris | High School Musical |
| Brendan Conlon | Warrior |
| Brendan Leonard | The Mighty Ducks |
| Brendan Rooney | Spy Kids |
| Brendan Blazer | Mean Creek |
| Brendan Dean | She's the Man |
| Brendan Klinkenberg | Super 8 |
| Brendan Eckhardt | The Dark Knight |
| Brendan Finney | Law & Order |
| Brendan Daniels | iZombie |
| Brendan Higgins | American Dad! |
| Brendan McBride | CSI - Miami |
| Brendan Sullivan | Castle |
| Brendan McDonough | Only the Brave |