Brolin
A Scandinavian masculine name derived from an Old Norse word meaning "brother-friend".
Name Census estimates that about 104 living Americans carry the first name Brolin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Brolin today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brolin births was 2011 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brolin. 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
104
~ 1 in 3,295,715 Americans
Peak year
2011
13 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2021 SSA rank
#8,951
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Brolin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brolin from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 75 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
Brolin 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 Brolin 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 Brolin
The name Brolin has its roots in the Old Norse language, originating from the Nordic regions of Scandinavia during the Viking era. It is derived from the combination of two words: "broddr" meaning "point" or "spike," and "linn" meaning "serpent" or "dragon." This suggests that the name may have been associated with warriors or individuals possessing a fierce and formidable nature.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of medieval literary works that document the lives and adventures of Norse settlers in Iceland. The name appears in the Saga of Grettir the Strong, written in the 13th century, where Brolin is mentioned as a skilled warrior and explorer.
In the 10th century, a notable figure named Brolin Thorvaldsson is recorded as one of the first Norsemen to set foot on the shores of North America, predating the voyages of Leif Erikson. Brolin Thorvaldsson is said to have established a short-lived settlement in what is now Newfoundland, Canada.
During the Middle Ages, the name Brolin gained popularity in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway. One notable bearer of the name was Brolin Sigurdsson (1125-1195), a Norwegian chieftain and leader of the Birkebeiner uprising, which played a crucial role in the establishment of the Norse monarchy in Norway.
In the 16th century, Brolin Ericsson (1522-1581) was a Swedish military commander and statesman who played a significant role in the Northern Seven Years' War against Denmark and the Livonian War against Russia. He is remembered for his strategic military victories and his contributions to the expansion of Swedish territories.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the name was Brolin Andersen (1670-1738), a Danish explorer and navigator who led expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions. His detailed maps and accounts of the northern territories contributed significantly to the advancement of geographical knowledge during that era.
Over the centuries, the name Brolin has maintained its presence, although it has become less common in modern times. Its strong historical ties to the Viking era and the Nordic regions have made it a symbol of resilience, bravery, and exploration.
People
Brolin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brolin 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
Brolin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brolin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 104 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brolin 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 3,295,715 US residents.
Is Brolin a common name?
We classify Brolin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 105 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brolin most popular?
The single biggest year for Brolin was 2011, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brolin is about 13 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 Brolin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Brolin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brolin 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 Brolin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Brolin 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 Brolin 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 Brolin as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.