Bradan
A male given name of Irish origin meaning "salmon".
Name Census estimates that about 436 living Americans carry the first name Bradan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bradan today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bradan births was 2005 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bradan. 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
436
~ 1 in 786,134 Americans
Peak year
2005
44 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2017 SSA rank
#6,368
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Bradan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bradan from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 240 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Bradan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bradan 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 Bradan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bradans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Bradan
The name Bradan is of Celtic origin, specifically derived from the Gaelic language spoken in Ireland and Scotland. It dates back to ancient times, likely before the 5th century AD. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "brádhán," which means "salmon" or "little salmon."
In Celtic mythology, the salmon was a revered creature associated with wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual insight. The name Bradan was likely given to children in the hopes that they would possess these qualities or as a symbol of strength and resilience, reflecting the salmon's ability to swim upstream against strong currents.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bradan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by monks in the late 15th century. The chronicle mentions a man named Bradan mac Fergusa, who lived in the 7th century and was the son of the King of Dál Riata, an ancient kingdom spanning parts of modern-day Scotland and Ireland.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Bradan:
1. Bradan of Biror (c. 510 - c. 580), an Irish missionary and saint who founded monasteries in Brittany, France, and is considered one of the Seven Founder Saints of Brittany.
2. Bradan mac Conaill (fl. 8th century), an Irish poet and historian who is credited with compiling the Duan Albanach, an important source of information on the kingdom of Dál Riata.
3. Bradan Cléireach (fl. 12th century), an Irish scribe and poet who worked at the monastery of Clonmacnoise in County Offaly, Ireland.
4. Bradan mac Aodha (fl. 15th century), an Irish chieftain and member of the Ó Brádaigh clan in County Longford, Ireland.
5. Bradan Ó Máille (c. 1600 - c. 1670), an Irish historian and genealogist who wrote extensively on the history of County Mayo, Ireland, and the Ó Máille clan.
The name Bradan remains in use today, primarily in Ireland and Scotland, though it is relatively uncommon compared to its peak popularity in medieval times. However, its historical significance and connection to Celtic culture and mythology continue to make it a notable and meaningful name with deep roots in the Gaelic tradition.
People
Bradan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bradan 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
Bradan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bradan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 436 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bradan 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 786,134 US residents.
Is Bradan a common name?
We classify Bradan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 441 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bradan most popular?
The single biggest year for Bradan was 2005, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bradan is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bradan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bradan 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.