Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the male given names Bradley, Bradly, or Bradford, also used as a formal given name.
Brad is a boy's and girl's baby name of Old English origin, a short form of Bradley or Bradford, from the Old English brad meaning 'broad,' combined with leah meaning 'meadow.' It came into standalone use during the 20th century.
Brad peaked in the United States in the 1970s, embodying a laid-back, all-American cool. Brad Pitt cemented its association with effortless charisma, making it one of the most culturally loaded short names of that generation.