Brennah
A feminine given name of uncertain origin, potentially relating to the Irish surname Brennan.
Name Census estimates that about 513 living Americans carry the first name Brennah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brennah today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brennah births was 2001 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brennah. 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
513
~ 1 in 668,137 Americans
Peak year
2001
41 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2019 SSA rank
#14,117
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Brennah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brennah from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 236 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Brennah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brennah 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 Brennah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brennahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Ohio, Missouri recorded the most babies named Brennah, while Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brennah
The name Brennah is believed to have originated from the Irish language, with its roots traced back to the ancient Celtic culture. It is thought to be a feminine variant of the name Brennan, which itself is derived from the Old Irish word "brennu," meaning "descendant of a prince" or "one who is impetuous or arrogant."
In the early medieval period, the name Brennan was primarily used as a surname among Irish families, particularly those belonging to the noble class or those with connections to royalty. The name Brennah emerged later as a feminine given name, possibly as a way to distinguish female family members from their male counterparts.
While the exact origins of the name Brennah are somewhat obscure, it is believed to have gained popularity during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Some historical records suggest that the name may have been used by Irish nobility during this time, although specific references are scarce.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brennah can be found in the annals of the O'Brien clan, a prominent Irish dynasty that ruled over parts of Munster during the 12th and 13th centuries. It is said that a daughter of the clan, born in the late 1100s, was given the name Brennah, although historical accounts of her life are limited.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Brennah, albeit with varying spellings. One such figure was Brennah O'Malley (c. 1530-1592), a renowned Irish pirate queen who commanded a fleet of ships and terrorized the coastal waters of Ireland and Scotland during the 16th century. Her exploits and fearlessness earned her a legendary status in Irish folklore.
Another notable Brennah was Brennah Ni Mhaille (c. 1670-1745), a celebrated Irish noblewoman and philanthropist who was renowned for her charitable works and support for education in her native County Mayo. She founded several schools and endowed funds for the education of underprivileged children.
In the 19th century, Brennah Fitzpatrick (1812-1892) was a prominent Irish-American political activist and journalist who championed the cause of Irish independence and advocated for the rights of Irish immigrants in the United States. She played a crucial role in mobilizing support for the Irish Republican Brotherhood and was a vocal critic of British rule in Ireland.
Moving into the 20th century, Brennah O'Donnell (1921-2003) was a celebrated Irish author and poet whose works explored themes of identity, heritage, and the complexities of modern Irish society. Her poetic collections, such as "The Tides of Time" and "Echoes of Erin," earned her critical acclaim and several literary awards.
While these historical figures represent a diverse range of backgrounds and accomplishments, they all share the common thread of bearing the name Brennah, a name that has endured through the centuries and continues to hold significance within Irish culture and heritage.
People
Brennah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brennah 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
Brennah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brennah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 513 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brennah 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 668,137 US residents.
Is Brennah a common name?
We classify Brennah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 523 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brennah most popular?
The single biggest year for Brennah was 2001, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brennah is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brennah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brennah 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.
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.