Brann
An anglicized variant of the Irish Gaelic name "Bran" meaning "raven".
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Brann. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Brann today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brann births was 2013 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brann. 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 Brann. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
2013
6 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,538
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Brann: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brann from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 17 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brann 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 Brann 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 Brann
The name Brann is believed to have its origins in the Old Norse language, spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia during the Viking Age. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "brandr," which means "sword" or "firebrand." This suggests that the name may have been associated with warriors or those skilled in battle.
In Norse mythology, there are references to a figure named Branni, who was a servant of the gods and responsible for kindling the sacred fires in Valhalla. This connection to fire and flames further reinforces the potential meaning of the name as a "firebrand" or "burning one."
The earliest recorded use of the name Brann dates back to the 10th century CE, during the height of the Viking Age. It was primarily found in Scandinavia, particularly in Norway and Sweden, but also spread to other regions as the Vikings explored and settled in new lands.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Brann was Brann Sveinsson, a Norwegian chieftain who lived in the late 10th century. He was a prominent figure in the Faroe Islands and is mentioned in the Saga of the Faroe Islanders.
In the 12th century, there was a notable Norwegian clergyman named Brann Kolbeinsson, who served as the Bishop of Hólar in northern Iceland from 1163 to 1198. He played a significant role in the ecclesiastical affairs of Iceland during his tenure.
Another historical figure with the name Brann was Brann Njálsson, an Icelandic lawspeaker and chieftain who lived in the 11th century. He is mentioned in the Njáls saga, one of the most famous Icelandic sagas, which describes the conflicts and legal disputes of the time.
In the 13th century, there was a Swedish nobleman named Brann Folkesson, who served as a member of the royal council and was involved in the political affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden during the reign of King Valdemar Birgersson.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Brann Stavanger was a Norwegian author and journalist who was born in 1849 and is known for his works on Norwegian history and culture, as well as his contributions to the development of the Nynorsk language.
While the name Brann was primarily used in Scandinavia during its early history, it has since spread to other parts of the world, though its use remains relatively uncommon. The name's connection to the Old Norse language and Viking heritage continues to make it a distinctive and culturally significant choice.
People
Brann + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brann 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
Brann: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brann?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brann 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Brann a common name?
We classify Brann as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 22 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brann most popular?
The single biggest year for Brann was 2013, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brann is about 21 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 Brann in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Brann a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brann 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 Brann still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Brann 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 Brann 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 Brann?
Want to know how many people share the name Brann? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.