Pronunciation
Bren-dun
Meaning
Prince
Related forms: Breandán (related irish form).
Alternate spellings
Breandán; Breanndán
Fun fact
Brendan is an anglicised spelling of Breandán. Saint Brendan's voyage is an old Irish story about travelling across the sea and visiting unusual islands. Some of the places and creatures in the story are very strange! So this name has a sailing and adventure connection too.
Popularity in Ireland
Figures for the spelling Brendan, Republic of Ireland.
The CSO only publishes names given to three or more babies in a year. “Less than 3” means zero, one or two babies, and these years appear as gaps on the graph.
Number of babies registered each year
From 2018, spellings with and without fadas are counted separately. Earlier figures group these spellings together, so the graph has a break at 2018.
View yearly figures
| Year | Babies named | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | #402 |
| 2024 | 9 | #394 |
| 2023 | 15 | #288 |
| 2022 | 25 | #205 |
| 2021 | 15 | #296 |
| 2020 | 25 | #198 |
| 2019 | 16 | #285 |
| 2018 | 24 | #224 |
| 2017 | 25 | #220 |
| 2016 | 20 | #245 |
| 2015 | 24 | #228 |
| 2014 | 27 | #215 |
| 2013 | 30 | #199 |
| 2012 | 46 | #152 |
| 2011 | 42 | #164 |
| 2010 | 46 | #154 |
| 2009 | 36 | #167 |
| 2008 | 45 | #148 |
| 2007 | 43 | #145 |
| 2006 | 55 | #112 |
| 2005 | 46 | #119 |
| 2004 | 57 | #104 |
| 2003 | 75 | #81 |
| 2002 | 65 | #84 |
| 2001 | 59 | #90 |
| 2000 | 73 | #76 |
| 1999 | 66 | #84 |
| 1998 | 60 | #78 |
| 1997 | 100 | #73 |
| 1996 | 125 | #60 |
| 1995 | 118 | #64 |
| 1994 | 134 | #54 |
| 1993 | 144 | #54 |
| 1992 | 158 | #52 |
| 1991 | 149 | #53 |
| 1990 | 167 | #50 |
| 1989 | 198 | #39 |
| 1988 | 208 | #39 |
| 1987 | 291 | #36 |
| 1986 | 256 | #38 |
| 1985 | 260 | #37 |
| 1984 | 315 | #32 |
| 1983 | 322 | #33 |
| 1982 | 365 | #30 |
| 1981 | 343 | #29 |
| 1980 | 372 | #26 |
| 1979 | 389 | #23 |
| 1978 | 393 | #21 |
| 1977 | 384 | #22 |
| 1976 | 432 | #19 |
| 1975 | 381 | #24 |
| 1974 | 343 | #27 |
| 1973 | 374 | #22 |
| 1972 | 345 | #23 |
| 1971 | 368 | #21 |
| 1970 | 395 | #21 |
| 1969 | 390 | #21 |
| 1968 | 409 | #19 |
| 1967 | 405 | #16 |
| 1966 | 440 | #16 |
| 1965 | 436 | #16 |
| 1964 | 426 | #17 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies’ Names, tables VSA50 and VSA60. Latest year: 2025.