Bradson
A combination of the English names "Brad" and "Son", potentially meaning "brave son".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Bradson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bradson today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bradson births was 2013 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bradson. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bradson. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2013
5 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2013 SSA rank
#12,388
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Bradson: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Bradson 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 Bradson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Bradson
The given name Bradson traces its origins to the Old English language, with roots dating back to the 9th century. It is believed to have originated as a combination of the words "brad" and "sunu," which translate to "broad" and "son," respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a broad or stout individual.
In the early medieval period, the name was predominantly found in the Anglo-Saxon regions of what is now England. Early records indicate variations in spelling, including Bradsune, Bradsone, and Bradsonn, reflecting the fluidity of naming conventions during that era.
While there are no known references to the name Bradson in ancient texts or religious scriptures, historical records from the 11th century mention individuals bearing this moniker. One notable example is Bradson of Wessex, a landowner and minor nobleman who lived during the reign of King Edward the Confessor in the mid-11th century.
As the centuries progressed, the name Bradson continued to be used, albeit in a relatively limited capacity. One prominent figure was Bradson Wycliffe, a 14th-century English scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the translation of the Bible into vernacular English.
In the 16th century, Bradson Marlowe (1564-1593) was a renowned English playwright, poet, and translator, best known for his influential works such as "Dido, Queen of Carthage" and "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus."
The 17th century saw the rise of Bradson Cromwell (1599-1658), a prominent English military and political leader who played a crucial role in the English Civil War and briefly ruled as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Another notable figure was Bradson Defoe (1660-1731), a prolific English writer, novelist, and pamphleteer, widely regarded as one of the earliest pioneers of the English novel with his seminal work "Robinson Crusoe."
It is worth noting that while the name Bradson has a rich historical lineage, its usage has been relatively rare compared to other English names, particularly in more recent times.
People
Bradson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bradson 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
Bradson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bradson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bradson 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Bradson a common name?
We classify Bradson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bradson most popular?
The single biggest year for Bradson was 2013, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bradson is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bradson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bradson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bradson 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.
Is Bradson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bradson in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bradson can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Bradson?
You can see how many people have the name Bradson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.