Brent
Feminine · “high or holy one”
Brent is given to boys far more often — 139,799 boys against 567 girls since 1880. See Brent as a boy name
Brent is a short English name with a clean, one-syllable sound, taken from a river and a surname. It became a familiar boy's name in America, and the same word now names the oil price quoted every day.
How old is the name Brent?
Brent first appears in US birth records in 1947 — 78 years ago. The typical Brent alive today was born around 1977, making them about 48 years old. About 500 people named Brent are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Brent most popular?
Brent peaked in 1970, reaching #2395 nationally. See the whole 1970 chart.
Where it comes from
From Brigantī to Brent
The story of Brent
The Brent is a small river in north-west London, and its name is one of the oldest in England, from a British Celtic word meaning the high or holy one, related to the goddess the Romans knew as Brigantia. It gave its name to the London Borough of Brent and to families who lived near it. Far from London, an oil company named a North Sea field Brent, and the crude from it became the benchmark by which much of the world's oil is priced. As a first name, Brent is given almost only to boys.
Meaningscholars disagree
high or holy one, from the river name; or burnt land
The River Brent in London takes its name from an ancient Celtic word for a high or holy one, the same source as the goddess Brigantia. The surname Brent can also come from Old English for burnt land. Either can stand behind the first name.
How the name formed
- Brigantī
- Brentriver
- Brent
Pronouncing Brent
BRENT
One syllable.
Nicknames for Brent
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1947
- Most girls named
- 197031 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2395reached in 1970
- Change vs 1991
- −16.7%5 in 1996, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Brents among us
people named Brent are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Brent sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is short, clear and easy to spell.
- It has an old English place-name behind it.
- It is no longer common among new babies, so a young Brent stands out a little.
- Many people associate it with a particular generation of men.
- The oil benchmark shares the word, and it turns up in the news.
- A very few girls have been given it; for them it will read as a boy's name everywhere.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Brent to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Brent? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Brent
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Brents are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Brent are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Brent in 2025?
- Brent is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Brent with classmates?
- Brent will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More B names
The most-given names starting with B, all years combined.
Barbara#968 · Betty#1113 · Brenda#1525 · Beverly#1016 · Brittany#928 · Bonnie#396 · Brianna#222 · Bertha#4546
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Brent? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Brent and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle