Branton
From an English place name, transferred meaning "town of the burnt land".
Name Census estimates that about 883 living Americans carry the first name Branton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Branton today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Branton births was 2002 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Branton. 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
883
~ 1 in 388,170 Americans
Peak year
2002
31 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,561
Tracked since 1928
Popularity
Branton: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Branton from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 234 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
Branton 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 Branton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brantons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, Georgia, Indiana recorded the most babies named Branton, while Ohio, Kansas, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Branton
The name Branton is an English given name derived from an Old English surname meaning "burnt town" or "village that has been burned down." The name's origins can be traced back to the 11th century, after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is believed that the name emerged as a descriptive surname for individuals who lived in areas that had been ravaged by fire or war.
In the Middle Ages, the name Branton was primarily used in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Northumberland. It was a common practice at the time to adopt surnames based on geographic locations, occupations, or physical characteristics. The name's association with burned settlements likely originated from the turbulent times when villages were often targeted during conflicts or raids.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Branton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions a landowner named Branton who held property in Yorkshire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Branton. One of the earliest recorded was Sir Robert de Branton (c. 1260 - 1320), a knight and landowner from Northumberland, England. Another notable figure was William Branton (1619 - 1674), an English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, John Branton (1726 - 1796) was a prominent English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including Fishlake Parish Church and Doncaster Mansion House.
Moving into the 19th century, Thomas Branton (1818 - 1892) was a renowned English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural landscapes and coastal scenes. His works were widely exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious galleries during his lifetime.
Finally, in the 20th century, Edward Branton (1905 - 1982) was a British actor and theatre director who had a successful career on stage and in films, appearing in productions such as "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "The Philadelphia Story."
While the name Branton may have originated from somber beginnings, it has evolved to become a unique and distinctive given name with a rich history spanning centuries.
People
Branton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Branton 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
Branton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Branton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 883 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Branton 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 388,170 US residents.
Is Branton a common name?
We classify Branton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 921 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Branton most popular?
The single biggest year for Branton was 2002, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Branton is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Branton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Branton 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.