Brehan
An English masculine name of unknown meaning or origin.
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Brehan. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brehan today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brehan births was 1977 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brehan. 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 Brehan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1977
9 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1981 SSA rank
#7,473
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Brehan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brehan from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 14 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
Brehan 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 Brehan 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 Brehan
The name Brehan is believed to have originated in ancient Celtic cultures, particularly among the Britons who inhabited what is now known as Great Britain. Its roots can be traced back to the Proto-Celtic language, which was spoken by Celtic tribes across Europe during the Iron Age.
The name Brehan is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic word "bren," which means "hill" or "elevated land." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with people who lived in hilly or mountainous regions. Alternatively, some scholars propose that it could have originated from the Proto-Celtic word "brenhin," meaning "king" or "ruler," implying a connection to royalty or leadership.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brehan can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional narratives from medieval Welsh literature. In these texts, Brehan is mentioned as the name of a legendary figure, though the details surrounding their identity and significance are scarce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Brehan. One such person was Brehan of Clonmacnoise, an Irish monk and scribe who lived in the 9th century. He is renowned for his contributions to the preservation of ancient manuscripts and the copying of sacred texts at the renowned Clonmacnoise monastery.
Another prominent figure was Brehan ap Gwgan, a Welsh prince and military leader who lived in the 12th century. He played a pivotal role in the conflicts between the Welsh and the Normans, leading his forces in battles against the invading Norman forces.
In the realm of literature, Brehan MacEgan was an esteemed Irish poet and bard who lived in the 16th century. He is credited with composing numerous poems and literary works that celebrated the rich cultural heritage of Ireland and its noble families.
Moving forward in time, Brehan O'Riordan was an Irish revolutionary who actively participated in the Easter Rising of 1916, a significant event in Ireland's struggle for independence from British rule. He was a dedicated member of the Irish Republican Army and played a role in the fight for Irish sovereignty.
Lastly, Brehan Naydler was a British historian and author who lived in the late 20th century. He specialized in Celtic studies and wrote extensively on the history, mythology, and traditions of the ancient Celtic peoples, shedding light on their rich cultural legacy.
People
Brehan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brehan 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
Brehan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brehan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brehan 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 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Brehan a common name?
We classify Brehan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 27 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brehan most popular?
The single biggest year for Brehan was 1977, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brehan is about 47 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 Brehan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Brehan a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brehan 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 Brehan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Brehan 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 Brehan 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 Americans are named Brehan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.