Bredyn
A novel masculine name, possibly inspired by the word "bread".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Bredyn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bredyn today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bredyn births was 2009 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bredyn. 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 Bredyn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2009
5 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#12,736
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Bredyn: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Bredyn 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 Bredyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Bredyn
The name Bredyn is a relatively modern and unique name, with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to be a combination of two Old English words, "bred" meaning broad or wide, and "yn" which is a diminutive suffix. This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a broad or sturdy build.
While there are no definitive records of the name's usage in ancient texts or historical records, some scholars suggest that it may have been a variation of the Old English name "Bredwyn," which itself is a compound of "bred" and "wyn" meaning joy or delight. However, this connection remains speculative.
The earliest known record of the name Bredyn dates back to the late 19th century. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Bredyn Williams, a Welsh-born author and poet who lived from 1867 to 1938. Williams is known for his works that celebrated Welsh culture and language.
Another notable figure with this name was Bredyn Griffiths, a British architect and urban planner who lived from 1920 to 2002. Griffiths was instrumental in the reconstruction and redevelopment of several cities in the aftermath of World War II, including the city of Coventry.
In the realm of sports, Bredyn Jones was a Welsh rugby union player who represented Wales in the 1960s. He played as a prop and was part of the Welsh team that won the Five Nations Championship in 1965.
Moving to the arts, Bredyn Davies was a Welsh actor and writer who lived from 1914 to 1995. He is best known for his roles in several British television series and films, including "The Forsyte Saga" and "The Pallisers."
Finally, Bredyn Evans was a Welsh-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1949 to 1961, representing the Labor Party.
While the name Bredyn may have obscure origins, these individuals have contributed to various fields and helped to establish the name's place in history, albeit on a relatively small scale.
People
Bredyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bredyn 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
Bredyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bredyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bredyn 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 Bredyn a common name?
We classify Bredyn 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 Bredyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Bredyn was 2009, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bredyn is about 17 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 Bredyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bredyn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bredyn 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 Bredyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bredyn 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 Bredyn 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 common is the name Bredyn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.