Breely
A feminine name derived from the Old English word "brere", meaning "thorny patch".
Name Census estimates that about 113 living Americans carry the first name Breely. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Breely today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Breely births was 2007 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Breely. 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
113
~ 1 in 3,033,224 Americans
Peak year
2007
17 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,360
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Breely: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Breely from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 55 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
Breely 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 Breely during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Breelys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Breely
The given name Breely is believed to have its origins in the ancient Celtic language, with roots dating back to the 5th century AD. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "brigh," meaning vigor or strength, combined with the diminutive suffix "-ley," signifying a small or endearing form.
In early Celtic folklore, the name Breely was often associated with tales of brave warriors and fierce huntresses, reflecting the strength and vitality conveyed by its meaning. Some scholars suggest that it may have been a common name among the ancient Britons, particularly in the regions now known as Wales and Cornwall.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Breely can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 15th century. Here, a Breely mac Tuathail is mentioned as a prominent chieftain who led his clan in battles against neighboring tribes.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures have borne the name Breely. In the 9th century, a Breely of Wessex was a respected scholar and advisor to King Alfred the Great. Another Breely, born in 1156, was a renowned poet and bard in the court of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd.
During the Renaissance period, a Breely Fitzsimons gained recognition as a skilled architect, contributing to the design of several notable castles and abbeys in Ireland and Scotland. In the 17th century, Breely O'Donnell was a courageous Irish rebel who played a pivotal role in the Confederate Wars against English rule.
More recently, in the 19th century, Breely Macgregor was a celebrated Scottish explorer and naturalist, renowned for her expeditions to the Himalayan region and her contributions to the study of rare flora and fauna.
While the name Breely may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and cultural significance remain a testament to the strength and resilience of its Celtic roots.
People
Breely + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Breely 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
Breely: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Breely?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 113 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Breely 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 3,033,224 US residents.
Is Breely a common name?
We classify Breely as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 114 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Breely most popular?
The single biggest year for Breely was 2007, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Breely 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 Breely in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Breely a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Breely 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 Breely still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Breely 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 Breely 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 Breely?
Find out how many people have the name Breely on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.