Brodan
A Scandinavian masculine name derived from the words meaning "broad" and "warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 77 living Americans carry the first name Brodan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Brodan today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brodan births was 2008 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brodan. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Brodan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Brodan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
77
~ 1 in 4,451,355 Americans
Peak year
2008
11 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2018 SSA rank
#10,983
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Brodan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brodan from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 50 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Brodan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brodan 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 Brodan 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 Brodan
The name Brodan has its origins in the ancient Gaelic and Celtic cultures of Ireland and Scotland, dating back to the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Old Irish word "brod," meaning "pride" or "arrogance," and the suffix "-an," which denotes a diminutive form. The name essentially translates to "little proud one" or "little arrogant one."
During the Middle Ages, the name Brodan was commonly found among Irish and Scottish clans, particularly in regions where Gaelic languages were spoken. It was often associated with individuals of noble or warrior lineage, reflecting the connotation of pride and strength inherent in the name's meaning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brodan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle dating back to the 5th century. The annals mention a figure named Brodan mac Cernaig, who was a prominent scholar and abbot of the monastic settlement of Iona in the late 6th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals bore the name Brodan. One of the most famous was Brodan of Arran, a 6th-century Irish monk and missionary who established a monastery on the Isle of Arran, off the coast of Scotland. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Another notable bearer of the name was Brodan of Biror, an Irish saint and abbot who lived in the 6th century. He founded the monastery of Biror (modern-day Birr) in County Offaly, Ireland, which became an important center of learning and spirituality during the Early Medieval period.
In the 9th century, a Scots king named Brodan mac Fergusa reigned over the Kingdom of Dál Riata, which encompassed parts of modern-day Scotland and Northern Ireland. His reign was marked by conflicts with neighboring kingdoms and efforts to maintain the unity of his realm.
Another historical figure named Brodan was a 12th-century Irish cleric and scholar who served as the Bishop of Armagh, one of the most prestigious ecclesiastical positions in Ireland at the time. He was known for his efforts to reform the Irish Church and his diplomatic skills in resolving conflicts between various factions.
While the name Brodan was primarily concentrated in Ireland and Scotland during its earlier history, it later spread to other regions through migration and cultural exchange. However, its strong roots in the Gaelic and Celtic traditions have endured, making it a distinctive name with a rich historical and cultural heritage.
People
Brodan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brodan 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
Brodan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brodan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 77 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brodan 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 4,451,355 US residents.
Is Brodan a common name?
We classify Brodan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 78 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brodan most popular?
The single biggest year for Brodan was 2008, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brodan is about 17 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 Brodan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Brodan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brodan 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 Brodan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Brodan 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 Brodan 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 people have the name Brodan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.