Brinn
A unisex name of Irish origin meaning "drop, vigor, or virtuous".
Name Census estimates that about 600 living Americans carry the first name Brinn. It is a predominantly female name (97.5% of registrations). The average person named Brinn today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brinn births was 2012 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brinn. 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
600
~ 1 in 571,257 Americans
Peak year
2012
36 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
1997 SSA rank
#9,450
Tracked since 1980
Gender
Gender distribution for Brinn
Brinn leans heavily female at 97.5% of total registrations, but 15 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Brinn as a male name
- Ranked #9,450 in 1997
- 5 male births in 1997
- Peak: 1983 (5 births)
Brinn as a female name
- Ranked #12,355 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (36 births)
Popularity
Brinn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brinn 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 206 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
Brinn 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 Brinn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brinns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, Minnesota recorded the most babies named Brinn, while Washington, Minnesota, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brinn
The given name Brinn has its origins in ancient Celtic languages, with roots tracing back to the Brittonic branch of the Insular Celtic linguistic group. The name is believed to have emerged during the early medieval period, around the 5th to 7th centuries CE, in regions encompassing modern-day Wales, Cornwall, and parts of northern France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brinn can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional medieval Welsh literature. In these texts, Brinn is mentioned as the name of a legendary figure, a warrior-prince from the kingdom of Gwynedd. However, the historical accuracy of this reference is uncertain, as the Triads often blended fact and fiction.
In the centuries that followed, the name Brinn appeared sporadically in various historical records and chronicles from the Celtic regions. One notable individual bearing this name was Brinn ap Gruffydd, a 12th-century Welsh nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the ongoing conflicts between the Welsh princes and the Norman invaders.
Another historical figure named Brinn was a 14th-century Irish monk and scribe from the monastery of Clonmacnoise. His meticulous work in transcribing and preserving ancient manuscripts has been praised by scholars studying the literature and language of medieval Ireland.
Moving forward in time, Brinn Bevan was a 16th-century Welsh bard and poet who gained recognition for his intricate bardic compositions and his contributions to the preservation of Welsh literary traditions.
In the 18th century, Brinn Owain was a renowned Welsh artist and engraver, celebrated for his detailed illustrations of landscapes and architectural landmarks throughout Wales. His works have become invaluable historical records of the country's cultural heritage.
While the name Brinn has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, its Celtic roots and association with figures from various fields have contributed to its enduring legacy and cultural significance in the regions where it originated.
People
Brinn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brinn 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
Brinn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brinn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 600 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brinn 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 571,257 US residents.
Is Brinn a common name?
We classify Brinn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 611 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brinn most popular?
The single biggest year for Brinn was 2012, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brinn is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brinn a female name?
Yes, 97.5% of people registered as Brinn 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.