Brandon (given name)

Origin of the name

The given name Brandon is a variant form of the Irish given name Brendan. This name is an Anglicised form of the old Gaelic language name, Bréanainn, which in turn is derived from a Welsh language element meaning "prince". It is also possible that the given name Brandon has been influenced from the surname of the American actor Marlon Brando (1924–2004). This surname is derived from the Lombardic language personal name Brando. This personal name was a short form of several personal names composed with the Germanic language element brand, meaning "sword".

The given name Brandon may also originate from the English surname Brandon. This surname is a habitational name, derived from any of the numerous places in England called Brandon. Such places can include: Brandon, County Durham; Brandon, Northumbria; Brandon, Suffolk; Brandon, Warwickshire; and other locations. For the most part, the names of these places are derived from two Old English language elements: brōm, meaning "broom", "gorse"; and dūn, meaning "hill". However, one location, Brandon in Lincolnshire, may be connected to the River Brant, which runs close by. This river's name is derived from two Old English elements: brant, meaning "steep", "deep"; and dūn, meaning "hill". The name of this location is probably in reference to the river's steep banks.

Australia

In Australia's most populated state, New South Wales, in the year 2009, Brandon did not crack the top 100 male, or top 100 female, names of babies registered in New South Wales.

Canada

In the Canadian province of British Columbia, the name ranked as the 66th most popular male name for the year 2007; it did not rank as a female name (to rank the name had to have been used by 5 or more occurrences).

Chile

In Chile, the name has not cracked the top 50 male names in the years spanning 1999 to 2006; from 2003 to 2006 it was amongst the top 100 male names.

The Netherlands

In the year 2009, Brandon was the 160th most common male name, recorded in births, in the Netherlands; there were 67 occurrences of the name recorded that year. The previous year the name ranked 159th, with 73 recorded occurrences.

Republic of Ireland

Sweden

In Sweden, there were 230 males registered in 2009 who had the first name Brandon; of these men, 170 recorded the name as a nickname. In the years spanning 2002 to 2009, the name was not amongst the top 100 male, or female, baby names.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the name has risen in popularity since the mid-1990s.

England and Wales

In England and Wales, in the year 2008, Brandon was the 70th most common male baby name, along with Breasen being a form on brandon or meaning son of Brandon, with 1,011 occurrences recorded. It had fallen in rank, slightly from the previous year when it was ranked 66th most common, with 1161 occurrences. The name has dramatically fallen in popularity since 1998, when it was ranked 36th, with 2142 occurrences recorded.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, Brandon was not amongst the top 20 names of male, or female, babies born in the year 2009. It did not crack the top 100 male, or the top 100 female, names registered in the two previous years either. In 2002 the name was ranked 84 most common male baby name, falling drastically from 30th ranked name the year before.

The name did not rank amongst the top 100 male baby names in 2007 and 2008.

Scotland

In Scotland, in the year 2009, the name was ranked as the 90th most common names for male babies, with 67 occurrences recorded. The name had dramatically fallen in popularity from the previous year. In the years 1998 and 1999, the name was the 46th most common name for male births, although the name has fallen in rank in almost every year since then.

United States

The name is, for the most part, found in the North America. In 1982, the name was the 7th most common given name amongst African American males, and the 23rd most common name amongst White American males. The name was ranked in the 1990 United States Census as being the 68th most common name amongst males.

The Social Security Administration website lists the top 1,000 American baby names for every year since 1879. In the year 1950, Brandon first cracked the top 1,000 male names for babies who were registered for Social Security numbers for births. That year it was the 936th most common masculine name. From that year until the beginning of the 1990s, the name has, for the most part, risen in popularity with every successive year. It reached its peak in the years 1992, 1993, and 1994, when it was the 6th most popular name amongst male babies. The name has fallen in popularity in almost every year since then; in 2009, it was ranked the 38th most common name registered that year.

Brandon is considered to be a masculine name; however, in the United States it has also been used as a feminine name. In 1981, it cracked the top 1,000 female names for babies who were registered for Social Security numbers for births; that year it was the 748th most common female name registered for births. The name stayed within the top 1,000 female names from 1981 to 1988, fluctuating in rank; it reached its peak in 1985, when it ranked 661st; in 1988, it ranked 990th.

In 2009, the names Brandon and Bryan were ranked as the 15th most common names for male twins, according to Social Security number applications for births.

The following table lists the year and rank when Brandon ranked amongst the top 1,000 male, or the top 1,000 female, baby names in the United States. If no rank is given in the table, then the name was not amongst the top 1,000. The highest rank for males, and for females, is labelled in boldface.

Feminine forms

It has been stated that the feminine given name Brandy is derived from a word referring to a liquor called "brandy wine", or "brandewine". These English words are derived from the Dutch language brandewijn, meaning "burnt wine", in reference to a distilled wine. However, the name Brandy is now considered to be more likely a feminine form of Brandon. Variant forms of Brandy include: Brandie, and Brandi.