Brenin
A Welsh masculine given name meaning "king" or "leader".
Name Census estimates that about 198 living Americans carry the first name Brenin. It is a predominantly male name (97.5% of registrations). The average person named Brenin today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brenin births was 2011 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brenin. 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
198
~ 1 in 1,731,083 Americans
Peak year
2011
14 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2020 SSA rank
#9,711
Tracked since 1985
Gender
Gender distribution for Brenin
Brenin leans heavily male at 97.5% of total registrations, but 5 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Brenin as a male name
- Ranked #9,711 in 2020
- 7 male births in 2020
- Peak: 2011 (14 births)
Brenin as a female name
- Ranked #15,819 in 2002
- 5 female births in 2002
- Peak: 2002 (5 births)
Popularity
Brenin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brenin from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 84 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brenin 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 Brenin 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 Brenin
The given name Brenin originates from the Welsh language and has its roots in the Brittonic Celtic culture of ancient Britain. The name is derived from the Welsh word "brenhin," which means "king" or "monarch."
In the early medieval period, the title "Brenhin" was used to refer to the rulers of the various Welsh kingdoms and principalities that existed throughout the region. The name Brenin was likely given to male children as a symbol of strength, power, and leadership within the Celtic-Welsh tradition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brenin can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional stories and legends that date back to the Middle Ages. The Triads mention various Welsh princes and rulers who bore the name Brenin or its variations.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the name Brenin. One of the most famous was Brenin ap Gruffydd (c. 1062 - c. 1137), a Welsh prince who led a rebellion against the Norman conquerors in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. He was known for his fierce resistance against the Norman occupation of Wales.
Another historical figure with the name Brenin was Brenin Gwynn (fl. 6th century), a legendary Welsh king who is mentioned in several medieval Welsh texts, including the Mabinogion. He is often associated with the mythical island of Avalon and is said to have been a powerful ruler and protector of the Welsh people.
In the 13th century, Brenin ab Owain (c. 1235 - c. 1290) was a Welsh prince and landowner who played a significant role in the Welsh resistance against English rule during the later years of the Principality of Wales.
The name Brenin also appears in the historical records of the 14th century, with Brenin ab Iorwerth (c. 1310 - c. 1380), a Welsh nobleman and military leader who fought alongside Owain Glyndŵr in the Welsh Revolt against the English in the early 15th century.
Another notable figure who bore the name Brenin was Brenin ab Rhys (c. 1480 - c. 1550), a Welsh landowner and politician who served as a member of the Parliament of England during the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century.
While the name Brenin has its roots in the ancient Welsh tradition, it has since become a rare and distinctive given name across various cultures and regions. Its connection to the concept of kingship and leadership has made it a name that carries a sense of strength and authority throughout history.
People
Brenin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brenin 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
Brenin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brenin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 198 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brenin 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 1,731,083 US residents.
Is Brenin a common name?
We classify Brenin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 200 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brenin most popular?
The single biggest year for Brenin was 2011, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brenin is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brenin a male name?
Yes, 97.5% of people registered as Brenin 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.