Brad

Brad: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “broad clearing”
Origin: English
Say it: BRAD · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys

Usually a short form of Bradley or Bradford, from Old English place-name elements; as an independent name it carries the same sense.

English names Names meaning nature Short names

How popular is Brad?

20247.8 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Brad in 202426

2024 rank#4,060 boys

Peak year1975

Total US babies since 188083,275

Brad is fading: recent use is about 37% of its level ten years before.

Names like Brad

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Bradleybroad wood; broad clearing · Old English
Bradlybroad meadow · Old English
JackGod is gracious · English
Hudsonson of Hudd · English
Jacksonson of Jack · English
Cartercart driver · English
Wyattbrave in war · English
Maverickindependent person · English

Brad questions

What does the name Brad mean?

Brad means "broad clearing". It comes from English. Usually a short form of Bradley or Bradford, from Old English place-name elements; as an independent name it carries the same sense.

Is Brad a boy or girl name?

Brad is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Brad?

26 US babies were named Brad in 2024. Its peak year was 1975.

How do you pronounce Brad?

Brad is usually pronounced BRAD.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.