Brona
A feminine given name of Irish origin meaning "sorrowful" or "sad".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Brona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brona today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brona births was 1921 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brona. 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 Brona is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Bronas were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Brona. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1921
8 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1957 SSA rank
#6,167
Tracked since 1921
Popularity
Brona: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brona from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1940s peak, Brona remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brona 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 Brona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bronas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Brona
The name Brona is believed to have its origins in the Celtic languages, particularly Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is derived from the Old Irish word "bron," which means "sorrow" or "sadness." The name is thought to have been used since ancient times in Ireland and Scotland.
In Irish mythology, Brona is mentioned as the name of a female warrior and the mother of the legendary hero Finn MacCool. This mythological association suggests that the name has been in use for centuries and holds cultural significance within Irish and Celtic traditions.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Brona can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a woman named Brona who lived in the 12th century and was a member of the Uí Briúin Bréifne dynasty, a powerful Irish clan.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Brona. One such person was Brona of Moray (c. 1060 - c. 1120), a Scottish noblewoman and the wife of Gruoch, who was the mother of King Macbeth of Scotland. This connection to the famous Shakespearean character further highlights the historical relevance of the name.
Another notable Brona was Brona O'Cahill (c. 1380 - c. 1450), an Irish poet and bard who lived during the late medieval period. Her works were celebrated for their lyrical beauty and insights into the culture and society of her time.
In the 16th century, Brona Ní Chatháin (c. 1530 - c. 1610) was a renowned Irish noblewoman and chieftain of the Uí Catháin clan in Ulster. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her time and was known for her leadership and courage.
The name Brona also has connections to religious figures. Saint Brona (c. 500 - c. 570) was an Irish nun and abbess who founded several monasteries in Ireland and is revered as a patron saint in the Irish Catholic Church.
While the name Brona may not be as common in modern times, its historical roots and cultural significance within the Celtic traditions make it a name with a rich and fascinating background.
People
Brona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brona 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
Brona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brona 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Brona a common name?
We classify Brona as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brona most popular?
The single biggest year for Brona was 1921, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brona is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brona 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.