Brodus
Of uncertain origin, potentially a form of the Greek name Brotus meaning bringer of mortality.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Brodus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Brodus today is around 98 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brodus births was 1919 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brodus. 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
- • The typical person named Brodus is about 98 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Brodus' were born before 1938.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Brodus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1919
7 babies that year
Average age
98
years old
1942 SSA rank
#3,626
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Brodus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brodus from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 7 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Brodus remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brodus 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 Brodus 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 Brodus
The name Brodus originates from the ancient Germanic language, with roots dating back to the 5th century AD. Its earliest form, "Brodis," is derived from the Proto-Germanic words "brod" and "us," meaning "broad" and "descendant" respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone of a robust or sturdy build.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Frankish chronicles of the 6th century, where a warrior named Brodus is mentioned as serving under King Clovis I. This historical reference lends credence to the name's Germanic roots and its use among the Frankish tribes that dominated much of Western Europe during the early Middle Ages.
In the 8th century, a Benedictine monk named Brodus is recorded as having lived and worked in the monastery of Fulda, which was a major center of learning and culture during the Carolingian Renaissance. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial Germanic origins and was being adopted by the Christian monastic orders of the time.
During the 11th century, a nobleman named Brodus de Brie is mentioned in the records of the French province of Brie, indicating that the name had gained a foothold in the region. This Brodus is believed to have been a vassal of the Count of Champagne and may have participated in the First Crusade.
In the 13th century, a prominent Italian jurist and scholar named Brodus of Bologna is recorded as having taught at the University of Bologna, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe. His work on canon law and legal theory was highly influential during the medieval period.
Another notable figure bearing the name Brodus was a 16th-century German merchant and explorer named Brodus von Oldenburg. He is credited with establishing trade routes between the Hanseatic cities and the Baltic region, and his travels are documented in several contemporary accounts.
People
Brodus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brodus 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
Brodus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brodus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brodus 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Brodus a common name?
We classify Brodus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 25 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brodus most popular?
The single biggest year for Brodus was 1919, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brodus is about 98 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 Brodus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Brodus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brodus 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 Brodus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Brodus 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 Brodus 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 Brodus?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Brodus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.