Brad - A very unique male name
Brad at a glance
Brad is ranked #3927 among boy baby names in 2023, with 5 births in 2023. It peaked in 1975 at #98 and first appeared on the charts in 1935.
- Rank in 2023
- #3927
- Births in 2023
- 5
- Peak year
- 1975 (#98)
- First appeared
- 1935
- Trend
- #2735 in 2018 → #3927 in 2023 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 292,965 boys
- Visitor rating
- 5.0/5 (3 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 292,965 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Brad peaked in popularity 51 years ago in 1975 on position 98.
Famous with this name
Brad Pitt
Brad Dourif
Brad Garrett
How would you rate Brad, 1-5?
Brad is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Brad is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #2,692 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,692.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Brad is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Brad origin and meaning
Old English (short form)
A short form of Bradley and Bradford, surnames from Old English brad, 'broad,' plus leah, 'clearing,' or ford — 'broad clearing' or 'broad ford'
Brad is the clipped form of the Brad- surnames that parents registered on its own through the mid-20th century: in the data it peaked in 1960 and reached 80,147 lifetime births. It was still recorded in 2020 but has no births recorded in 2025. Its most famous bearer was born William Bradley Pitt and is known by the short form.
Attested etymology
Brad is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.
To see famous people named Brad, pop culture references for the name Brad and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Brad
We've found the following names that sound similar to Brad, sorted by popularity.
Brett / Brady / Brody / Barrett / Bret / Bert / Bart / Brodie / Buford / Burt /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 3927 |
| 2022 | 3377 |
| 2020 | 2774 |
| 2018 | 2735 |
| 2017 | 3297 |
| 2016 | 2454 |
| 2015 | 1730 |
| 2014 | 1905 |
| 2013 | 1737 |
| 2012 | 1679 |
| 2011 | 1519 |
| 2010 | 1378 |
| 2009 | 1393 |
| 2008 | 1176 |
| 2007 | 957 |
| 2006 | 877 |
| 2005 | 848 |
| 2004 | 842 |
| 2003 | 838 |
| 2002 | 748 |
| 2001 | 731 |
| 2000 | 654 |
| 1999 | 617 |
| 1998 | 576 |
| 1997 | 519 |
| 1996 | 502 |
| 1995 | 509 |
| 1994 | 516 |
| 1993 | 467 |
| 1992 | 467 |
| 1991 | 402 |
| 1990 | 362 |
| 1989 | 315 |
| 1988 | 278 |
| 1987 | 228 |
| 1986 | 216 |
| 1985 | 210 |
| 1984 | 194 |
| 1983 | 174 |
| 1982 | 163 |
| 1981 | 141 |
| 1980 | 116 |
| 1979 | 116 |
| 1978 | 123 |
| 1977 | 105 |
| 1976 | 108 |
| 1975 | 98 |
| 1974 | 105 |
| 1973 | 135 |
| 1972 | 148 |
| 1971 | 139 |
| 1970 | 139 |
| 1969 | 145 |
| 1968 | 158 |
| 1967 | 155 |
| 1966 | 149 |
| 1965 | 147 |
| 1964 | 142 |
| 1963 | 146 |
| 1962 | 158 |
| 1961 | 142 |
| 1960 | 134 |
| 1959 | 150 |
| 1958 | 150 |
| 1957 | 153 |
| 1956 | 142 |
| 1955 | 153 |
| 1954 | 153 |
| 1953 | 164 |
| 1952 | 211 |
| 1951 | 274 |
| 1950 | 321 |
| 1949 | 388 |
| 1948 | 416 |
| 1947 | 451 |
| 1946 | 535 |
| 1945 | 761 |
| 1944 | 900 |
| 1943 | 884 |
| 1942 | 984 |
| 1940 | 1476 |
| 1939 | 1200 |
| 1936 | 1270 |
| 1935 | 1527 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Texas | 2692 |
Even more about Brad
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Brad a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Brad?
1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
BRAD · /bræd/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
- Bradly — A spelling variant of the Bradley family
- Bradley — The full surname name Brad shortens; a separate profile
Famous bearers
- Brad Pitt — Film star, born William Bradley Pitt and universally known as Brad Pitt (b. 1963) Contemporary
- Brad Paisley — Country music star, born Brad Paisley (b. 1972) Contemporary
Style
Short formSurnameClassic
Why parents choose it
One syllable of mid-century ease, superstar-carried — as a registered name it now belongs to the grandfathers' generation it once defined.
Worth knowing
- Bradley or Bradford will be assumed to stand behind it
- No births recorded in 2025 after a 1960 peak
