Brendan
Say it: BREN-dan
BoyIrishMeans prince7 letters2 syllables
#402
in Ireland (2025)
#390 with spellings combined
9
babies in 2025
#16
best rank (1965)
11,413
babies since 1964
Down 162
10-year rank change
Brendan through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | #390 |
| 2024 | 9 | #379 |
| 2023 | 15 | #280 |
| 2022 | 25 | #200 |
| 2021 | 15 | #285 |
| 2020 | 25 | #198 |
| 2019 | 16 | #278 |
| 2018 | 24 | #223 |
| 2017 | 25 | #220 |
| 2016 | 20 | #245 |
| 2015 | 24 | #228 |
| 2014 | 27 | #215 |
| 2013 | 30 | #199 |
| 2012 | 46 | #152 |
| 2011 | 42 | #164 |
| 2010 | 46 | #154 |
| 2009 | 36 | #167 |
| 2008 | 45 | #148 |
| 2007 | 43 | #145 |
| 2006 | 55 | #112 |
| 2005 | 46 | #119 |
| 2004 | 57 | #104 |
| 2003 | 75 | #81 |
| 2002 | 65 | #84 |
| 2001 | 59 | #90 |
| 2000 | 73 | #76 |
| 1999 | 66 | #84 |
| 1998 | 60 | #78 |
| 1997 | 100 | #73 |
| 1996 | 125 | #60 |
| 1995 | 118 | #64 |
| 1994 | 134 | #54 |
| 1993 | 144 | #54 |
| 1992 | 158 | #52 |
| 1991 | 149 | #53 |
| 1990 | 167 | #50 |
| 1989 | 198 | #39 |
| 1988 | 208 | #39 |
| 1987 | 291 | #36 |
| 1986 | 256 | #38 |
| 1985 | 260 | #37 |
| 1984 | 315 | #32 |
| 1983 | 322 | #33 |
| 1982 | 365 | #30 |
| 1981 | 343 | #29 |
| 1980 | 372 | #26 |
| 1979 | 389 | #23 |
| 1978 | 393 | #21 |
| 1977 | 384 | #22 |
| 1976 | 432 | #19 |
| 1975 | 381 | #24 |
| 1974 | 343 | #27 |
| 1973 | 374 | #22 |
| 1972 | 345 | #23 |
| 1971 | 368 | #21 |
| 1970 | 395 | #21 |
| 1969 | 390 | #21 |
| 1968 | 409 | #19 |
| 1967 | 405 | #16 |
| 1966 | 440 | #16 |
| 1965 | 436 | #16 |
| 1964 | 426 | #17 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Brendan mean?
Prince
English form of Irish Bréanainn, from Old Welsh breenhin (prince, king).
Say it right
BRENdan
The Irish forms are Breandán and Bréanainn.
The story of Brendan
Brendan is the English form of Bréanainn, from the Old Irish Brénainn. The name was borrowed from the Old Welsh breenhin, meaning prince or king, and the medieval Latin form Brendanus shaped the spellings used today. In Irish it is Breandán or Bréanainn.
It is the name of several Irish saints, above all Brendan the Navigator. Born around 484 near Tralee in Kerry, he founded the monastery of Clonfert in Galway. A medieval tale, the Voyage of Saint Brendan, tells how he sailed the ocean with his monks for seven years in search of a promised land. In its best-known episode they camp on an island, light a fire, and find the island is a whale.
Brendan was one of the most popular boys’ names in 1960s Ireland. It reached number 16 in 1965, and had the most babies in 1966, with 440 boys. It has fallen a long way since, to 9 boys in 2025. In Northern Ireland its best place was number 73 in 1997.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Brendan (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Brendan (given name)
- Wikipedia: Brendan the Navigator
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Brendan | 9 | 11,413 |
In Northern Ireland
#344 in 2025 with 4 babies. Best rank #73 (1997); 436 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.