Brynae
A feminine Welsh name meaning "hill" or "high place".
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Brynae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brynae today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brynae births was 1996 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brynae. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Brynae. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1996
6 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2012 SSA rank
#17,360
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Brynae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brynae from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 17 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brynae 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 Brynae 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 Brynae
The name Brynae is of Welsh origin, derived from the elements "bryn" meaning "hill" and "ae" meaning "blessed." This suggests that the name may have originated among the ancient Welsh inhabitants of the hilly regions of Britain during the early medieval period.
The earliest recorded use of the name Brynae can be traced back to the 7th century AD, when it appears in the Welsh genealogical manuscript known as the "Harleian Genealogies." This document mentions a figure named Brynae ap Rhiwallon, who was a member of the royal lineage of the ancient Welsh kingdom of Morgannwg.
In the 9th century, the name Brynae is mentioned in the "Annales Cambriae," a historic chronicle that recorded notable events in the history of medieval Wales. This reference is to a Brynae ap Cadwgan, who is described as a prominent figure in the region of Powys.
During the 12th century, the name Brynae appears in the "Brut y Brenhinedd," a Welsh translation of the "Historia Regum Britanniae" by Geoffrey of Monmouth. This work contains a character named Brynae ap Cynfyn, who is depicted as a legendary warrior and leader among the ancient Britons.
One of the most notable historical figures to bear the name Brynae was Brynae ap Gruffudd (c. 1250-1310), a Welsh prince and military leader who played a significant role in the struggles against English rule during the late 13th century. He is remembered for his participation in the Welsh Revolt of 1294-1295, where he fought alongside the famed leader Madog ap Llywelyn.
Another prominent figure named Brynae was Brynae ap Rhys (c. 1340-1415), a Welsh scholar and cleric who served as the Bishop of Bangor in the early 15th century. He was known for his contributions to the preservation of Welsh literature and culture during a time of increasing English influence.
People
Brynae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brynae 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
Brynae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brynae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brynae 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 10,711,073 US residents.
Is Brynae a common name?
We classify Brynae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 33 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brynae most popular?
The single biggest year for Brynae was 1996, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brynae is about 24 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 Brynae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Brynae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brynae 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.
Is Brynae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Brynae 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 Brynae 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 Brynae?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Brynae on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.