Bret: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,883

among boys · ↓157 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Bret · -5% vs 2024

How common

1 in 85,404

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1959

1,839 babies

All-time total

30,051

#681 all-time among boys

First recorded

1926

in Social Security records

Bret popularity over time

30,051 babies have been named Bret since 1926, 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

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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	5	5	1	–	#4,276
1930s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	133	133	13	–	#1,397
1950s	–	3,963	3,963	396	+2880%	#170
1960s	5	8,415	8,420	842	+112%	#223
1970s	18	5,536	5,554	555	-34%	#260
1980s	90	5,581	5,671	567	+2%	#217
1990s	84	4,007	4,091	409	-28%	#418
2000s	29	1,618	1,647	165	-60%	#657
2010s	6	431	437	44	-73%	#1,716
2020s (to 2025)	–	130	130	22	-50%	#4,017

Where Bret 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	20	0.01	outside top 500
2027	19	0.01	outside top 500
2028	19	0.01	outside top 500
2029	19	0.01	outside top 500
2030	19	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Bret

Bret is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,883 in 2025 with 20 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1926, 30,051 American babies have been named Bret. Its peak came in 1959, when 1,839 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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

How old are people named Bret?

The median living Bret is about 50 years old; half are between 37 and 60. An estimated 27 thousand people named Bret 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.

Bret 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	–	–	20	#4,883
2024	–	–	21	#4,726
2023	–	–	27	#4,017
2022	–	–	23	#4,456
2021	–	–	22	#4,513
2020	–	–	17	#5,275
2019	–	–	21	#4,660
2018	–	–	34	#3,307
2017	–	–	23	#4,345
2016	–	–	33	#3,369
2015	–	–	33	#3,378
2014	–	–	45	#2,669
2013	–	–	39	#2,898
2012	–	–	42	#2,820
2011	6	#15,161	72	#1,931
2010	–	–	89	#1,716
2009	–	–	96	#1,641
2008	–	–	123	#1,380
2007	7	#14,172	109	#1,465
2006	–	–	99	#1,519
2005	7	#13,240	151	#1,094
2004	–	–	160	#1,022
2003	–	–	171	#956
2002	7	#12,408	189	#869
2001	–	–	246	#714
2000	8	#10,884	274	#657
1995	14	#6,301	388	#519
1990	5	#13,233	546	#418
1985	11	#6,069	502	#365
1980	5	#10,570	410	#400
1975	–	–	462	#359
1970	7	#6,435	871	#260
1965	–	–	743	#274
1960	–	–	1,242	#223
1955	–	–	91	#763
1950	–	–	34	#1,233
1945	–	–	10	#2,266
1940	–	–	10	#2,343
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Famous people named Bret

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

1 Bret Easton Ellis American author, screenwriter, and director (born 1964) Contemporary
2 Bret Hart Canadian professional wrestler (born 1957) Contemporary
3 Bret Michaels American musician (born 1963) Contemporary
4 Bret McKenzie New Zealand actor and musician (born 1976) Contemporary
5 Bret Iwan American voice actor (born 1982) Contemporary
6 Bret Harrison American actor (born 1982) Contemporary
7 Bret Harte American fiction writer and poet (1836–1902) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Bret?

The median living Bret is about 50 years old. Half of all living Brets are between 37 and 60 years old.

How many people named Bret are alive today?

An estimated 27 thousand people named Bret are alive in the United States, based on 30,051 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Bret mean?

A male given name transferred from the surname, variant of Brett, ultimately meaning "a Breton".

How popular is the name Bret in 2025?

Bret ranked #4,883 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 20 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Bret?

30,051 babies have been named Bret in the United States since 1926, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Bret most popular?

Bret peaked in 1959, when 1,839 newborns received the name.

Is Bret a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Bret rising or falling?

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

Will Bret become more popular?

Bret looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 19 boys named Bret in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Bret?

Well-known people named Bret include Bret Easton Ellis (writer), Bret Hart (wrestler), Bret Michaels (musician).

Names like Bret

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

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