Drennon
A masculine name possibly derived from Irish meaning "descendant of the ridge dwellers".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Drennon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Drennon today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Drennon births was 1938 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Drennon. 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 Drennon. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1938
5 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,672
Tracked since 1938
Popularity
Drennon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Drennon from the 1930s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Drennon 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 Drennon 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 Drennon
The given name Drennon is believed to have its origins in the Gaelic language, which was spoken in ancient times across parts of what is now Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "draighnean," which means "blackthorn" or "sloe," a type of thorny shrub that was once abundant in these regions.
In the early medieval period, names inspired by elements of nature, such as plants and animals, were common among the Celtic peoples. The blackthorn shrub, with its dark-colored branches and berries, may have been seen as a symbol of strength and resilience, qualities that parents hoped to instill in their children by bestowing the name Drennon upon them.
While there are no definitive records of the name's earliest use, some scholars believe it may have appeared in ancient bardic tales or genealogical records kept by Gaelic scribes. However, written accounts from this era are scarce and often fragmentary.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Drennon was a Scottish chieftain who lived in the 13th century. Known as Drennon of Glengarry, he is said to have led his clan in battles against rival clans and English forces during the turbulent years of the Scottish Wars of Independence.
In the 16th century, a figure named Drennon O'Malley gained notoriety as a feared Irish pirate who terrorized ships sailing along the western coasts of Ireland and Scotland. His exploits were documented in contemporary accounts, and he has since become a legendary figure in Irish folklore.
During the 17th century, a man named Drennon MacLeod fought alongside the Scottish Covenanter forces against the English during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He was renowned for his bravery and skill in battle, and his name is mentioned in several historical chronicles from that period.
In the 19th century, an Irish poet and playwright named Drennon O'Byrne gained acclaim for his works that celebrated the rich cultural heritage of Ireland. His plays and poems helped to preserve and promote the Gaelic language and traditions during a time when they were under threat.
Another notable figure was Drennon MacDonald, a Scottish-born explorer and fur trader who ventured into the uncharted wilderness of western Canada in the early 19th century. His journals and maps provided invaluable information about the region and its indigenous peoples, contributing to the expansion of the fur trade and eventual settlement of these territories.
People
Drennon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Drennon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Drennon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Drennon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Drennon 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Drennon a common name?
We classify Drennon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Drennon most popular?
The single biggest year for Drennon was 1938, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Drennon is about 25 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 Drennon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Drennon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Drennon 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 Drennon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Drennon 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 Drennon 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 Drennon?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.