Brigham first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Brigham has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Brigham

Old English name meaning "high homestead" or "exalted place".

Popularity of Brigham by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Brigham is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 66 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Brigham.

YearMale CountFemale Count
2024660
2023660
2022630
2021950
2020940
2019960
20181050
20171100
20161200
20151010
20141100
20131300
20121300
20111360
20101040
2009960
2008970
2007970
2006920
2005800
2004830
2003710
2002870
2001880
2000730
1999550
1998610
1997630
1996340
1995340
1994330
1993210
1992210
1991240
1990200
1989260
1988240
1987190
1986200
1985210
1984250
1983190
1982300
1981320
1980330
1979210
1978220
1977290
1976180
1975200

The history of the first name Brigham

The name Brigham is an English surname that has been adopted as a masculine given name. It is derived from the Old English words "brycg" meaning bridge and "ham" meaning home or settlement. This suggests that the name may have originated as a place name referring to a settlement near a bridge.

The earliest recorded use of Brigham as a surname dates back to the 13th century in England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Brigham, who was mentioned in records from Yorkshire in 1273.

While the name Brigham does not have any known historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history.

One of the most famous individuals with the name Brigham was Brigham Young (1801-1877), an American religious leader and settler. He was the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and led the Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah.

Another notable Brigham was Brigham Roberts (1936-2017), an American sculptor and artist known for his large-scale public artworks. His works can be found in various cities across the United States.

Brigham Hager (1888-1963) was an American football player and coach. He played for the University of Michigan and later coached at Albion College and the University of Detroit.

Brigham Yen (1914-2012) was a Chinese-American engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing the first mass-produced transistor radio and the first successful solar-powered wristwatch.

Brigham Madsen (1925-2015) was an American historian and author. He wrote extensively on the history of the American West, with a particular focus on the Mormon migration and settlement in Utah.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Brigham was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brigham, please contact us.

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