Braeley
An English unisex name of uncertain origin and meaning, possibly from an English place name.
Name Census estimates that about 121 living Americans carry the first name Braeley. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Braeley today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Braeley births was 2013 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Braeley. 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
121
~ 1 in 2,832,680 Americans
Peak year
2013
14 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,706
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Braeley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Braeley from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 71 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Braeley remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Braeley 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 Braeley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Braeley
The name Braeley originated from the Old English language, dating back to the 5th century CE. It is derived from the compound words "bræd" meaning "broad" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." The name was initially used to describe a person who lived near a broad meadow or clearing in the countryside.
In the Anglo-Saxon period, the name appeared in various forms such as Brædleah, Brædleh, and Brædleia. These variations were found in ancient texts and records from the time, indicating the name's early usage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Braeley can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned in 1086 by William the Conqueror. The book mentions a landowner named Braedlei, who held lands in Oxfordshire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Braeley. One of the most prominent figures was Braeley the Scribe, a 12th-century monk known for his exceptional calligraphic skills. He was responsible for transcribing numerous religious texts and historical documents during his lifetime.
Another historical figure with the name Braeley was Sir Braeley de Montfort, a 13th-century English knight who fought alongside Simon de Montfort during the Barons' War against King Henry III. He was renowned for his bravery and military prowess on the battlefield.
In the 15th century, Braeley Chaucer, a distant relative of the famous poet Geoffrey Chaucer, gained recognition as a skilled illuminator and scribe. His exquisite manuscript illustrations and calligraphy were highly sought after by nobles and the clergy of the time.
During the Renaissance period, Braeley Fitzherbert (1470-1538) was a prominent legal scholar and author. He is best known for his influential work "The New Natura Brevium," a treatise on English common law that became a standard reference for lawyers and judges.
In the 17th century, Braeley Winthrop (1588-1649) was a prominent Puritan leader who played a significant role in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He served as the first governor of the colony and was instrumental in establishing its legal and political foundations.
These historical figures, along with many others, have contributed to the rich legacy and enduring presence of the name Braeley throughout the centuries.
People
Braeley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Braeley 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
Braeley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Braeley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 121 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Braeley 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 2,832,680 US residents.
Is Braeley a common name?
We classify Braeley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 122 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Braeley most popular?
The single biggest year for Braeley was 2013, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Braeley is about 12 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 Braeley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Braeley a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Braeley in the SSA data are female. 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 Braeley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Braeley 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 Braeley 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 Americans are named Braeley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.