Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2014

Branson

Meaning A male given name transferred from the surname Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,222 Trend ↓ Falling 31%

A male given name transferred from the surname.

Rank 2025
#1,222
among boys · ↓123 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
165
named Branson · -16% vs 2024
How common
1 in 10,352
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2014
377 babies
All-time total
8,231
#1,348 all-time among boys
First recorded
1912
in Social Security records

Branson popularity over time

8,231 babies have been named Branson since 1912, 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
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 36 36 4 – #2,072
1920s – 54 54 5 +50% #2,718
1930s – 44 44 4 -19% #2,563
1940s – 41 41 4 -7% #2,656
1950s – 48 48 5 +17% #2,602
1960s – 46 46 5 -4% #3,118
1970s – 132 132 13 +187% #1,713
1980s – 306 306 31 +132% #1,697
1990s – 1,031 1,031 103 +237% #873
2000s 5 1,927 1,932 193 +87% #812
2010s – 3,279 3,279 328 +70% #675
2020s (to 2025) – 1,282 1,282 214 -35% #875

Where Branson 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 155 0.09 outside top 500
2027 147 0.09 outside top 500
2028 140 0.08 outside top 500
2029 135 0.08 outside top 500
2030 130 0.08 outside top 500

Where Branson is most popular

Boys named Branson per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.119 per 1,000. Strongest in West Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky.

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 Branson 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
West Virginia 22 0.674 +468%
Mississippi 32 0.563 +375%
Kentucky 51 0.508 +329%
Louisiana 42 0.411 +246%
Alabama 34 0.311 +162%
Ohio 81 0.306 +158%
Tennessee 55 0.305 +157%
Indiana 47 0.293 +147%
Georgia 44 0.174 +47%
North Carolina 42 0.164 +39%
Texas 144 0.163 +38%
Virginia 29 0.153 +29%
Pennsylvania 38 0.143 +21%
Florida 44 0.093 -22%
Oregon 6 0.079 -33%
Colorado 10 0.077 -35%
Illinois 19 0.074 -37%
Washington 12 0.073 -38%
Iowa 5 0.073 -39%
South Carolina 5 0.048 -59%
California 32 0.035 -70%
Michigan 5 0.024 -79%
New York 7 0.016 -86%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
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 Branson

Branson is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,222 in 2025 with 165 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1912, 8,231 American babies have been named Branson. Its peak came in 2014, when 377 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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

How old are people named Branson?

The median living Branson is about 14 years old; half are between 8 and 22. An estimated 8,000 people named Branson are alive in the United States today.

median 14 020406080100

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

Branson 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 – – 165 #1,222
2024 – – 196 #1,099
2023 – – 197 #1,089
2022 – – 222 #1,002
2021 – – 244 #927
2020 – – 258 #875
2019 – – 281 #811
2018 – – 302 #770
2017 – – 332 #723
2016 – – 368 #682
2015 – – 363 #694
2014 – – 377 #675
2013 – – 355 #679
2012 – – 343 #691
2011 – – 310 #732
2010 – – 248 #854
2009 – – 273 #812
2008 – – 244 #871
2007 – – 217 #912
2006 – – 227 #873
2005 – – 180 #967
2004 – – 177 #949
2003 5 #16,153 155 #1,017
2002 – – 151 #1,019
2001 – – 151 #1,004
2000 – – 152 #979
1995 – – 126 #988
1990 – – 36 #2,050
1985 – – 33 #1,799
1980 – – 20 #2,457
1975 – – 10 #3,463
1970 – – 7 #3,886
1965 – – 6 #3,584
1960 – – 8 #3,118
1955 – – 7 #3,229
1950 – – 9 #2,602
1945 – – 5 #3,385
1940 – – 5 #3,505
1935 – – 5 #3,709
1930 – – 5 #4,062
1925 – – 7 #3,455
1920 – – 7 #3,524
1915 – – 9 #2,651
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Branson?

The median living Branson is about 14 years old. Half of all living Bransons are between 8 and 22 years old.

How many people named Branson are alive today?

An estimated 8,000 people named Branson are alive in the United States, based on 8,231 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Branson mean?

A male given name transferred from the surname.

How popular is the name Branson in 2025?

Branson ranked #1,222 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 165 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Branson?

8,231 babies have been named Branson in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Branson most popular?

Branson peaked in 2014, when 377 newborns received the name.

Is Branson a boy or girl name?

Branson is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Branson rising or falling?

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

Will Branson become more popular?

Branson is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 130 boys named Branson in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Branson

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

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