Bracken
A nature name derived from an Old English word for a fern or bracken plant.
Name Census estimates that about 596 living Americans carry the first name Bracken. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bracken today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bracken births was 1998 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bracken. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
596
~ 1 in 575,091 Americans
Peak year
1998
31 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,497
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Bracken: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bracken from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 181 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bracken by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bracken during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brackens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Bracken
The given name Bracken originated from the Old English word "braccan," which means "fern" or "bracken." This name has its roots in the language and culture of the Anglo-Saxons, and it is believed to have been used as early as the 5th century AD.
The name Bracken is closely tied to nature and the outdoors, as it is derived from a plant that is commonly found in the woodlands and forests of the British Isles. It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals who lived in areas abundant with ferns or bracken plants.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Bracken can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record that covers the events in England from the 5th to the 12th century. In this text, there are mentions of individuals with names similar to Bracken, such as Braccanleah and Braccanhyll.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Bracken. One of the earliest was Bracken of Beverley, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived in the 8th century AD. He is known for his contributions to the study of canon law and his influential writings on ecclesiastical matters.
Another prominent figure was Bracken of Jarrow, a Benedictine monk and scholar who lived in the late 7th and early 8th centuries. He is credited with writing several influential works on astronomy, mathematics, and biblical commentary.
In the 12th century, there was Bracken of Canterbury, a prominent churchman who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170. He played a significant role in the conflicts between King Henry II and Thomas Becket, and was known for his diplomatic skills.
During the Renaissance period, there was Bracken Fielding, an English playwright and poet who lived in the 16th century. He is best known for his contributions to the development of English Renaissance drama and his influence on the works of William Shakespeare.
In more recent times, one of the notable individuals with the name Bracken was Bracken Lee, an American writer and journalist who lived from 1915 to 1996. He is best known for his work as a war correspondent during World War II and his later career as a novelist and screenwriter.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Bracken, a name that has its roots in the natural world and has been carried by scholars, churchmen, writers, and other notable figures over the centuries.
People
Bracken + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bracken as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bracken: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bracken?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 596 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bracken going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 575,091 US residents.
Is Bracken a common name?
We classify Bracken as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 610 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bracken most popular?
The single biggest year for Bracken was 1998, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bracken is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bracken a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bracken in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.