Male name
Brendan
2,828 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 1997. Expression number: 4.
Origin
Anglicized form of the name of Irish saints, Irish Bréanainn (via Latin Brendanus), from Old Irish Brénainn, from Old Welsh breenhin (“prince, king”), ultimately from Proto-Celtic *brigantīnos (“(someone) preeminent, outstanding”), a diminutive of *brigantī (“high, exalted”). Doublet of Brian.From Wiktionary, entry “Brendan”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 1997: 216 births. 2,828 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s and 2000s. It is still given: 84 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 1999: 4,005 births. 92,141 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. At its peak, it ranked 96th among boys' names in 1999. It really came into use around 1923. It is still given: 1,275 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 1966: 440 births. 11,413 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. At its peak, it ranked 16th among boys' names in 1965. It is still given: 73 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1,705 | 1900–2025 | — |
| Quebec | 480 | 1980–2025 | — |
Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms, Etalab Open Licence 2.0; Retraite Québec, Banque de prénoms, CC BY 4.0.
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
4
work, structure, stability
2 + 9 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 1 + 5 = 31 → 4
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
6
responsibility, harmony, commitment to others
5 + 1 = 6
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
7
reflection, inner life, seeking
2 + 9 + 5 + 4 + 5 = 25 → 7
- Digits missing from the name
- 3, 6, 7, 8
- Most frequent digit
- 5 · freedom, change, movement
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.