Brennden
A masculine given name of German origin meaning "the burning one" or "fiery".
Name Census estimates that about 72 living Americans carry the first name Brennden. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Brennden today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brennden births was 1997 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brennden. 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 Brennden. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
72
~ 1 in 4,760,477 Americans
Peak year
1997
11 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2011 SSA rank
#11,011
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Brennden: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brennden from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 38 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
Brennden 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 Brennden 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 Brennden
The name Brennden is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German word "brinnan," meaning "to burn." It originated in the medieval period, around the 5th to 10th centuries CE, and was commonly used in regions where Germanic languages were spoken, such as present-day Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brennden can be found in the 9th-century Frankish chronicles, where it was mentioned as the name of a soldier in Charlemagne's army. This suggests that the name was already in use during the Carolingian dynasty.
In the later Middle Ages, the name Brennden gained popularity among the nobility and upper classes in Germanic regions. It was often associated with the virtues of bravery and strength, likely due to its connection with the concept of fire and burning.
One notable historical figure with the name Brennden was Brennden von Biberach, a German knight who fought in the Crusades during the 12th century. He was renowned for his skill in battle and his unwavering devotion to the Catholic faith.
Another prominent individual was Brennden of Marburg, a 13th-century German Dominican friar and inquisitor. He played a significant role in the persecution of heretics during the Inquisition, although his methods were controversial and often criticized for their severity.
In the 16th century, the name Brennden gained further recognition with the birth of Brennden Bauer, a German painter and engraver known for his intricate woodcuts and religious imagery. His works were highly influential in the development of Renaissance art in Germany.
Moving forward to the 18th century, Brennden Müller was a German composer and organist who made significant contributions to the development of the Baroque music tradition. His compositions for organ and choral works were widely performed and admired throughout Europe.
In more recent times, Brennden Braun was a renowned German architect and urban planner who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and urban projects in Berlin and other major German cities, leaving a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of modern Germany.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Brennden throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence and significance across various fields and time periods within the Germanic cultural sphere.
People
Brennden + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brennden 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
Brennden: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brennden?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 72 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brennden 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 4,760,477 US residents.
Is Brennden a common name?
We classify Brennden as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 73 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brennden most popular?
The single biggest year for Brennden was 1997, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brennden is about 25 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 Brennden in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Brennden a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brennden 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 Brennden still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Brennden 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 Brennden 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 Brennden?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.