Is Brett a boy's or girl's name?

Brett is primarily a boy's name. It is also used as a girl's name, with 3,393 recorded births.

When was Brett most popular?

Brett reached its peak popularity in 1986 with 4,731 births that year. It is currently ranked #1060 in the U.S.

How popular is the name Brett?

Brett is currently ranked #1060 in the U.S. (2024). It has been given to 158,979 babies since 1926.

Brett

A Celtic name gently fading from the charts.

Boy's name| Also girlsCelticDeclining Also a pet name

#1060▲ 68in 2024

Meaning & Origin

A surname transferred from the nickname meaning "Breton, an inhabitant of Brittany".

Brett is a boy's and girl's baby name of Celtic origin, from the Middle English and Old French Bret meaning 'a Breton' — someone from the region of Brittany in northwestern France, where Celtic people settled after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Brett was most popular in the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s. Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre gave the name a rugged, athletic identity. Lady Brett Ashley in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises showed its unisex potential decades earlier.

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Popularity Over Time

Brett was #222 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #1060, but its charm endures.

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Brett
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	1,050	#1040	▼
2010s	3,947	#666	▼
2000s	14,659	#257	▼
1990s	35,419	#108	▼
1980s	41,293	#76	▲
1970s	28,926	#97	▲
1960s	25,834	#127	▲
1950s	7,255	#345	▲
1940s	548	#1198	▲
1930s	38	#3307	▲
1920s	10	#4155	—

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(93 years, 1926–2024)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Brett
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2024	205	#1060	+18 (9.6%)
2023	187	#1128	-29 (-13.4%)
2022	216	#1024	+15 (7.5%)
2021	201	#1063	-40 (-16.6%)
2020	241	#925	-34 (-12.4%)
2019	275	#820	-13 (-4.5%)
2018	288	#788	-27 (-8.6%)
2017	315	#748	-18 (-5.4%)
2016	333	#733	+9 (2.8%)
2015	324	#745	-62 (-16.1%)
2014	386	#664	+26 (7.2%)
2013	360	#669	-67 (-15.7%)
2012	427	#596	-83 (-16.3%)
2011	510	#509	-219 (-30.0%)
2010	729	#389	-37 (-4.8%)
2009	766	#392	-304 (-28.4%)
2008	1,070	#311	+112 (11.7%)
2007	958	#333	-124 (-11.5%)
2006	1,082	#304	-307 (-22.1%)
2005	1,389	#243	-176 (-11.2%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Brett as a Girl's Name

While overwhelmingly a boy's name, Brett has also been given to 3,393 girls in the U.S. since 1950.

#7284

Current rank

3,393

Total births

1986

Peak year

Compare Brett as boy vs girl

Frequently Asked

Can Brett be used for both boys and girls?

Yes, Brett is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name, it currently ranks #1060. As a girl's name, it ranks #7284.

Brett has two lives

Brett, the baby name

#1060boys

158,979 babies

Currently viewing

Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (1926–2024) · Methodology