boys' name ★ peaked 2005

Braden

Meaning descendant of Bradán Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,152 Trend ↓ Falling 52%

Anglicised from an Irish surname Ó Bradáin (“descendant of Bradán”), from a personal name meaning "salmon," from bradán (“salmon”).

Rank 2025
#1,152
among boys · ↑92 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
183
named Braden · +15% vs 2024
How common
1 in 9,334
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2005
3,058 babies
All-time total
46,512
#535 all-time among boys
First recorded
1916
in Social Security records

Braden popularity over time

46,512 babies have been named Braden since 1916, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 6 6 1 – #3,552
1920s – 19 19 2 +217% #3,513
1930s – 22 22 2 +16% #2,891
1940s – 44 44 4 +100% #2,000
1950s – 156 156 16 +255% #1,644
1960s – 271 271 27 +74% #1,201
1970s 6 814 820 82 +203% #792
1980s 14 2,343 2,357 236 +187% #506
1990s 107 8,389 8,496 850 +260% #208
2000s 138 24,071 24,209 2,421 +185% #133
2010s 12 8,784 8,796 880 -64% #207
2020s (to 2025) – 1,316 1,316 219 -75% #809

Where Braden is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 162 0.10 outside top 500
2027 147 0.09 outside top 500
2028 134 0.08 outside top 500
2029 125 0.07 outside top 500
2030 117 0.07 outside top 500

Where Braden is most popular

Boys named Braden per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.119 per 1,000. Strongest in Tennessee, Virginia, and Ohio.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Braden born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Tennessee 44 0.244 +105%
Virginia 38 0.200 +68%
Ohio 48 0.181 +52%
Maryland 21 0.176 +48%
Arkansas 11 0.174 +46%
Pennsylvania 46 0.173 +45%
Florida 78 0.165 +38%
North Carolina 41 0.161 +35%
Georgia 39 0.154 +29%
Louisiana 14 0.137 +15%
Missouri 18 0.130 +9%
Nevada 7 0.123 ≈ national
Michigan 25 0.122 ≈ national
Illinois 31 0.121 ≈ national
Oklahoma 10 0.113 -5%
New York 48 0.111 -7%
Texas 89 0.101 -15%
New Jersey 19 0.094 -21%
Indiana 15 0.094 -21%
Alabama 10 0.091 -23%
Mississippi 5 0.088 -26%
California 78 0.085 -28%
Arizona 11 0.067 -44%
Washington 10 0.061 -49%
Massachusetts 8 0.058 -51%
Utah 5 0.052 -56%
Minnesota 6 0.049 -59%
Alaska – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Maine – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Braden

Braden is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,152 in 2025 with 183 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1916, 46,512 American babies have been named Braden. Its peak came in 2005, when 3,058 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Braden stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Braden?

The median living Braden is about 20 years old; half are between 16 and 26. An estimated 46 thousand people named Braden are alive in the United States today.

median 20 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Braden year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 183 #1,152
2024 – – 159 #1,244
2023 – – 187 #1,129
2022 – – 245 #935
2021 – – 255 #903
2020 – – 287 #809
2019 – – 388 #671
2018 – – 480 #576
2017 – – 513 #546
2016 – – 599 #501
2015 – – 758 #411
2014 – – 894 #357
2013 5 #16,981 965 #335
2012 7 #13,733 1,135 #303
2011 – – 1,342 #259
2010 – – 1,710 #207
2009 5 #17,749 2,034 #185
2008 7 #14,082 2,524 #156
2007 6 #15,804 2,689 #156
2006 17 #7,200 2,857 #143
2005 12 #8,984 3,046 #133
2004 22 #5,596 2,621 #154
2003 10 #9,786 2,353 #170
2002 24 #4,924 2,291 #168
2001 13 #7,799 1,923 #191
2000 22 #5,170 1,733 #204
1995 18 #5,249 817 #322
1990 – – 396 #486
1985 – – 276 #525
1980 – – 147 #721
1975 6 #8,086 85 #895
1970 – – 67 #991
1965 – – 40 #1,209
1960 – – 11 #2,549
1955 – – 22 #1,651
1950 – – 12 #2,221
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Braden

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Braden Holtby Braden Holtby Canadian ice hockey player (born 1989) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Braden, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Braden?

The median living Braden is about 20 years old. Half of all living Bradens are between 16 and 26 years old.

How many people named Braden are alive today?

An estimated 46 thousand people named Braden are alive in the United States, based on 46,512 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Braden mean?

Anglicised from an Irish surname Ó Bradáin (“descendant of Bradán”), from a personal name meaning "salmon," from bradán (“salmon”).

How popular is the name Braden in 2025?

Braden ranked #1,152 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 183 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Braden?

46,512 babies have been named Braden in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Braden most popular?

Braden peaked in 2005, when 3,058 newborns received the name.

Is Braden a boy or girl name?

Braden is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Braden rising or falling?

Braden is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Braden become more popular?

Braden is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 117 boys named Braden in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Braden?

Well-known people named Braden include Braden Holtby (hockey player).

Names like Braden

Names that sound and feel close to Braden: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Braden with similar names → More names starting with B →