Brecon
A placename denoting a town in southern Wales.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Brecon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Brecon today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brecon births was 2015 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brecon. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Brecon with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Brecon. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2015
6 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2015 SSA rank
#10,865
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Brecon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brecon from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 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
Brecon 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 Brecon 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 Brecon
The given name Brecon finds its origins in the Welsh language, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh word "brycheiniog," which refers to the ancient Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog, located in what is now Powys, Wales. The name is believed to have originated as a place name, referring to the Brecon Beacons mountain range and the town of Brecon, situated in this region.
In its earliest recorded use, the name Brecon appeared in various historical documents and records from the 12th and 13th centuries, often associated with Welsh nobility and leaders hailing from the Brycheiniog kingdom. One of the earliest known individuals bearing this name was Brecon ap Rhys, a Welsh prince who lived in the late 12th century and played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh and Norman forces during that time.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Brecon gained prominence among the Welsh aristocracy, appearing in genealogical records and chronicles. One notable figure was Brecon ap Bleddyn, a 12th-century Welsh prince who ruled over parts of Brycheiniog and was involved in the struggle for power during the turbulent period of Norman conquest in Wales.
As the name spread beyond its Welsh roots, it also found its way into English and Irish historical records. In the 16th century, Brecon O'Malley, an Irish chieftain and seafarer, gained notoriety as a powerful maritime leader and trader along the western coast of Ireland. His exploits and legacy have been celebrated in Irish folklore and literature.
In the 19th century, Brecon Bevan, a Welsh industrialist and entrepreneur, made significant contributions to the development of the coal and iron industries in South Wales. His name is closely associated with the town of Brecon and the surrounding region, where he established several successful business ventures.
Another notable figure bearing the name Brecon was Sir Brecon Roberts, a Welsh soldier and politician who served in the British Army during the 20th century. He played a crucial role in various military campaigns and later pursued a career in politics, serving as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party.
While the name Brecon has its roots firmly planted in Welsh history and culture, it has transcended its geographical origins and gained recognition across various regions and time periods, often associated with individuals of notable achievements and significance.
People
Brecon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brecon 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
Brecon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brecon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brecon 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Brecon a common name?
We classify Brecon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brecon most popular?
The single biggest year for Brecon was 2015, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brecon is about 14 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 Brecon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Brecon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brecon 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 Brecon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Brecon 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 Brecon 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 are named Brecon?
Want to know how many Americans are named Brecon? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.