Brendan (given name)


Brendan is an Irish masculine given name in the English language. It is derived from the Gaelic name Breandán, which is in turn derived from the earlier Old Irish Brénainn. The Old Welsh breenhin is the root of the name, meaning Prince or King. The mediaeval Latin form of the name, Brendanus, has also influenced the modern English and Irish forms. Variant spellings of Brendan are Brendon and Brenden. In some cases it is possible that the given name Brandon is also a variant of Brendan. A variant spelling of the Irish Breandán is Breanndán.

Etymology

The English Brendan is an Anglicised form of the Irish Breandán. This Irish name is derived from the Old Irish Brénainn. This Old Irish personal name, sword". In most cases, the masculine given name Brandon, pronounced, is considered to be derived from the surname Brandon, which is in turn derived from two Old English elements.

Variants, cognates

In some cases, the masculine given name Brennan may be used as a contracted form of Brendan. Brennan is etymologically unrelated to Brendan. It is derived from the surname Brennan, which is an Anglicised form of the Irish Ó Braonáin. The popularity of Brendan in Gaelic-speaking countries is thought to have influenced the use and popularity of the etymologically unrelated feminine name Brenda.
In 2008, the name was not in the top 100 given names for babies in the United States. However, it ranked within the top 100 given names for babies in New England with 2.60 occurrences per 1,000. Between the years 1900-2006, there were 0.37 babies born and recorded with the given name in the United States. During the decades spanning 1900-1940 the name wasn't among the top 1,000 given names recorded for babies in the United States. However, in the 1950s it ranked 679; in the 1960s 448; in the 1970s 293; in the 1980s 190; and in the 1990s 133. In recent years in the United States, the name has fallen in the ranking of names for babies. In 2000 it ranked 101; in 2001 115; in 2002 124; in 2003 141; in 2004 149; in 2005 175; in 2006 185; in 2007 205; and in 2008 207.

People named Brendan