Brandy: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,072

among girls · ↑164 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Brandy · -5% vs 2024

How common

1 in 30,326

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1981

6,963 babies

All-time total

108,861

#359 all-time among girls

First recorded

1942

in Social Security records

Brandy popularity over time

108,861 babies have been named Brandy since 1942, 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

GirlsBoys

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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	64	–	64	6	–	#2,423
1950s	202	44	246	25	+284%	#2,067
1960s	1,242	169	1,411	141	+474%	#541
1970s	40,070	783	40,853	4,085	+2795%	#37
1980s	44,527	575	45,102	4,510	+10%	#41
1990s	14,909	291	15,200	1,520	-66%	#137
2000s	4,254	250	4,504	450	-70%	#398
2010s	998	148	1,146	115	-75%	#1,329
2020s (to 2025)	293	42	335	56	-51%	#2,941

Where Brandy is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls	Implied rank
2026	53	0.03	outside top 500
2027	53	0.03	outside top 500
2028	53	0.03	outside top 500
2029	53	0.03	outside top 500
2030	53	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Brandy

Brandy is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,072 in 2025 with 53 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1942, 108,861 American babies have been named Brandy. Its peak came in 1981, when 6,963 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

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 Brandy stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Brandy?

The median living Brandy is about 44 years old; half are between 38 and 48. An estimated 105 thousand people named Brandy are alive in the United States today.

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

Brandy 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	53	#3,072	5	#12,310
2024	49	#3,236	12	#6,895
2023	57	#2,941	6	#11,022
2022	44	#3,547	13	#6,536
2021	43	#3,557	–	–
2020	47	#3,293	6	#10,790
2019	49	#3,232	6	#10,981
2018	65	#2,652	13	#6,396
2017	69	#2,550	13	#6,369
2016	80	#2,347	12	#6,783
2015	66	#2,687	11	#7,133
2014	93	#2,082	16	#5,509
2013	121	#1,714	18	#5,003
2012	132	#1,633	15	#5,749
2011	146	#1,515	22	#4,384
2010	177	#1,329	22	#4,377
2009	233	#1,093	27	#3,844
2008	250	#1,046	28	#3,750
2007	314	#887	24	#4,138
2006	342	#798	23	#4,116
2005	378	#723	33	#3,096
2004	417	#657	24	#3,744
2003	454	#600	22	#3,848
2002	559	#496	27	#3,269
2001	587	#474	25	#3,422
2000	720	#398	17	#4,420
1995	1,508	#195	31	#2,450
1990	2,266	#137	37	#2,016
1985	3,901	#70	51	#1,357
1980	6,410	#42	74	#1,047
1975	4,944	#57	103	#818
1970	610	#385	57	#1,081
1965	90	#1,110	14	#2,191
1960	37	#1,857	8	#3,117
1955	27	#2,067	–	–
1950	12	#3,071	–	–
1945	6	#4,072	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Brandy

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

1 Brandy Norwood American singer, songwriter and actress (born 1979) Contemporary
2 Brandy Ledford American actress and model b. 1969 · Contemporary
3 Brandy Aniston Pornographic actor, United States b. 1984 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Brandy?

The median living Brandy is about 44 years old. Half of all living Brandys are between 38 and 48 years old.

How many people named Brandy are alive today?

An estimated 105 thousand people named Brandy are alive in the United States, based on 108,861 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Brandy mean?

A female given name from English derived from brandy, an alcoholic liquor.

How popular is the name Brandy in 2025?

Brandy ranked #3,072 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 53 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Brandy?

108,861 babies have been named Brandy in the United States since 1942, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Brandy most popular?

Brandy peaked in 1981, when 6,963 newborns received the name.

Is Brandy a boy or girl name?

Brandy is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Brandy rising or falling?

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

Will Brandy become more popular?

Brandy looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 53 girls named Brandy in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Brandy?

Well-known people named Brandy include Brandy Norwood (singer), Brandy Ledford (actor), Brandy Aniston (pornographic actor).

Names like Brandy

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

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