Brendan is a distinctive choice, ranked #1613 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Brendan in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1613
US Rank #885
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About the Name Brendan
Brendan is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 146 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #157 in 1998 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Brendan is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Brendan in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #885, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Brendan
Brendan Simms — Brendan Peter Simms is a Professor of the history of international relations in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge.
Brendan Fevola — Brendan Fevola is a former professional Australian rules footballer and radio presenter.
Brendan Ingle — Brendan Ingle was an Irish boxing trainer, manager, and former professional boxer based in Sheffield, England.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Brendan
Unlikely. With around 16 UK babies named Brendan per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Brendan in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Brendan has been fairly steady, ranked #1,613 in 2025 against #1,548 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #157 in 1998.
Brendan is more popular in the US (#885) than in the UK (#1402). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Brendan include: Brendan Simms, Brendan Fevola and Brendan Bracken. Short summaries for each appear below.
Brendan does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Brendans in the wild.
16
UK babies named Brendan (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 65 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Brendan
Almost certainly the only Brendan in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2023)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Brendan
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Brendan Peter Simms is a Professor of the history of international relations in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge.
Brendan Rendall Bracken, 1st Viscount Bracken, was an Irish-born businessman, politician and a Minister of Information and First Lord of the Admiralty in Winston Churchill's War Cabinet.