Fun Facts About the Name Brennan
- More than 35 thousand babies named Brennan: U.S. records list 35,486 babies given the name Brennan from 1880 through 2025. Even 2,228 girls received the name Brennan - about 1 girl for every 15 boys.
What Does the Name Brennan Mean?
Brennan is an English-language name of Irish Gaelic origin. Its usual source is the surname Ó Braonáin, meaning "descendant of Braonán." Braonán is an old Irish personal name formed from braon, "drop," "moisture," or "tear," plus the diminutive suffix -án; the literal sense of the personal name is therefore "little drop" or "little tear." The common gloss "teardrop" for Brennan is a simplified version of this etymology.
A second, unrelated Gaelic source sometimes anglicized as Brennan is Mac Branáin, "son of Branán." Branán is a different personal name, generally explained as deriving from bran, "raven." The Ó Braonáin derivation is the more common explanation, but the two origins are distinct and should not be merged.
Brennan Name History & Origins
The Brennan surname developed in Ireland from Gaelic patronymic naming. Ó Braonáin belonged to Leinster; the family held the lordship of Idough in what is now County Kilkenny. In Gaelic surnames, Ó marked a male descendant, and English record-keepers rendered the name in forms such as O'Brennan and Brennan, eventually dropping the prefix. A separate Connacht family, Mac Branáin, used Mac, "son," and its name was also anglicized as Brennan.
The surname Brennan spread with Irish emigration to Britain, North America, and Australia, where it became familiar in English-speaking communities. As a given name, Brennan is a transferred use of that surname, a pattern common to many Irish family names. It is used mainly as a masculine name, with some feminine use, and is not a traditional Gaelic given name.
How Popular is the Name Brennan?
Brennan recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2009. Its best rank was #242 in 2009.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,557 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #6,414 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #6,978 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2022 | #5,043 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2021 | #4,528 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 2020 | #4,280 | 32 | 0.0020% |
| 2019 | #4,358 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 2018 | #4,575 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 2017 | #3,493 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 2016 | #4,175 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2015 | #3,782 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 2014 | #2,973 | 57 | 0.0032% |
| 2013 | #2,665 | 66 | 0.0038% |
| 2012 | #2,499 | 73 | 0.0041% |
| 2011 | #2,174 | 87 | 0.0049% |
| 2010 | #2,344 | 81 | 0.0046% |
| 2009 | #2,272 | 86 | 0.0047% |
| 2008 | #2,338 | 83 | 0.0044% |
| 2007 | #2,039 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 2006 | #2,609 | 69 | 0.0036% |
| 2005 | #3,271 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 2004 | #2,624 | 63 | 0.0034% |
| 2003 | #3,479 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 2002 | #2,648 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 2001 | #2,545 | 60 | 0.0033% |
| 2000 | #3,222 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 1999 | #2,476 | 58 | 0.0033% |
| 1998 | #2,192 | 65 | 0.0037% |
| 1997 | #2,485 | 52 | 0.0030% |
| 1996 | #2,232 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 1995 | #2,160 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 1994 | #1,867 | 76 | 0.0043% |
| 1993 | #2,268 | 57 | 0.0032% |
| 1992 | #2,520 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 1991 | #2,390 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 1990 | #2,805 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 1989 | #3,177 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1988 | #3,401 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1987 | #2,857 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 1986 | #3,066 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1985 | #3,994 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1984 | #3,079 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1983 | #3,254 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1982 | #4,043 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1981 | #4,992 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1980 | #3,519 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1979 | #4,437 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1978 | #4,275 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1977 | #6,954 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #5,635 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1975 | #5,193 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #6,981 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #7,523 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,003 | 226 | 0.0132% |
| 2024 | #1,054 | 207 | 0.0121% |
| 2023 | #1,023 | 213 | 0.0125% |
| 2022 | #995 | 224 | 0.0128% |
| 2021 | #872 | 265 | 0.0152% |
| 2020 | #764 | 315 | 0.0183% |
| 2019 | #719 | 340 | 0.0190% |
| 2018 | #661 | 382 | 0.0210% |
| 2017 | #585 | 464 | 0.0251% |
| 2016 | #534 | 549 | 0.0289% |
| 2015 | #444 | 690 | 0.0360% |
| 2014 | #387 | 806 | 0.0420% |
| 2013 | #345 | 927 | 0.0490% |
| 2012 | #318 | 1,011 | 0.0533% |
| 2011 | #293 | 1,177 | 0.0620% |
| 2010 | #270 | 1,279 | 0.0667% |
| 2009 | #242 | 1,464 | 0.0738% |
| 2008 | #263 | 1,316 | 0.0645% |
| 2007 | #286 | 1,207 | 0.0582% |
| 2006 | #299 | 1,116 | 0.0543% |
| 2005 | #312 | 1,054 | 0.0528% |
| 2004 | #300 | 1,061 | 0.0535% |
| 2003 | #276 | 1,127 | 0.0571% |
| 2002 | #273 | 1,121 | 0.0577% |
| 2001 | #274 | 1,121 | 0.0577% |
| 2000 | #276 | 1,158 | 0.0590% |
| 1999 | #270 | 1,106 | 0.0576% |
| 1998 | #274 | 1,051 | 0.0550% |
| 1997 | #288 | 967 | 0.0513% |
| 1996 | #297 | 895 | 0.0472% |
| 1995 | #288 | 916 | 0.0481% |
| 1994 | #329 | 756 | 0.0391% |
| 1993 | #356 | 663 | 0.0338% |
| 1992 | #368 | 642 | 0.0321% |
| 1991 | #346 | 698 | 0.0345% |
| 1990 | #384 | 606 | 0.0295% |
| 1989 | #446 | 445 | 0.0222% |
| 1988 | #422 | 460 | 0.0240% |
| 1987 | #428 | 422 | 0.0226% |
| 1986 | #520 | 292 | 0.0159% |
| 1985 | #553 | 253 | 0.0137% |
| 1984 | #562 | 232 | 0.0129% |
| 1983 | #634 | 182 | 0.0102% |
| 1982 | #706 | 152 | 0.0084% |
| 1981 | #735 | 139 | 0.0078% |
| 1980 | #736 | 142 | 0.0080% |
| 1979 | #741 | 136 | 0.0079% |
| 1978 | #760 | 123 | 0.0075% |
| 1977 | #819 | 108 | 0.0066% |
| 1976 | #838 | 99 | 0.0063% |
| 1975 | #823 | 102 | 0.0065% |
| 1974 | #850 | 89 | 0.0057% |
| 1973 | #973 | 69 | 0.0044% |
| 1972 | #1,069 | 57 | 0.0035% |
| 1971 | #921 | 78 | 0.0044% |
| 1970 | #932 | 73 | 0.0039% |
| 1969 | #945 | 66 | 0.0037% |
| 1968 | #959 | 58 | 0.0033% |
| 1967 | #994 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 1966 | #999 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 1965 | #1,276 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1964 | #1,436 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1963 | #1,377 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1962 | #1,629 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1961 | #1,605 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1960 | #1,976 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1959 | #2,551 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #2,185 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1957 | #2,844 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #2,515 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #2,589 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1954 | #2,975 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #3,468 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #3,776 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #3,364 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #3,348 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1916 | #3,973 | 5 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Brennan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Brennan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Brennan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.