Bret

Last seen for girls in 2011 at #14,824 · #4,857 for boys in 2025, 20 births
Given to boys 99.2% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1959 · 1,839 births
Debut · boys
5 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
29,819
since 1926

Bret over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Bret has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201976peak #170, 1959boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#4,85720
2024—#4,70121
2023—#4,00227
2022—#4,44223
2021—#4,49422
2020—#5,23517
2019—#4,63921
2018—#3,30134
2017—#4,33123
2016—#3,35833
2015—#3,36533
2014—#2,66145
2013—#2,89539
2012—#2,81142
2011#14,8246#1,92772
2010—#1,71389
2009—#1,63896
2008—#1,380123
2007#13,9247#1,464109
2006—#1,51999
2005#13,0107#1,093151
2004—#1,022160
2003—#956171
2002#12,1877#868189
2001—#714246
2000#10,7458#657274
1999#12,6886#580335
1998#9,2609#604305
1997#8,33410#614285
1996#7,13012#543350
1995#6,25714#519388
1994#5,01619#494414
1993#8,7199#507405
1992—#468463
1991—#432516
1990#12,9585#418546
1989#12,3625#398545
1988#7,11110#410487
1987#5,61313#365536
1986#5,45913#366509
1985#6,03111#365502
1984#10,4225#381458
1983#6,21210#352504
1982#9,2376#2171,098
1981#5,57112#342532
1980#10,3925#400410
1979—#359490
1978—#396381
1977—#385415
1976—#341505
1975—#359462
1974—#342509
1973—#322541
1972#8,2925#293628
1971#7,3886#284734
1970#6,3627#260871
1969—#264791
1968#7,0165#246841
1967—#243837
1966—#243860
1965—#274743
1964—#275786
1963—#274787
1962—#274787
1961—#284741
1960—#2231,242
1959—#1701,839
1958—#1871,514
1957—#556194
1956—#83181
1955—#76391
1954—#79582
1953—#96655
1952—#1,04448
1951—#1,48925
1950—#1,23234
1949—#1,46225
1948—#1,70319
1947—#1,39428
1946—#2,14312
1945—#2,24210
1944—#2,6338
1943—#2,18212
1942——
1941—#2,4919
1940—#2,32210
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1926—#4,2015
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First appearance
1926

The first year at least five boys were named Bret! It came in at #4,201, and was given to 5 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1926–1939, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.

Where Bret is popular in 1976

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedNHWashington: #184 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,421 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedIDMontana: #115 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 566 boysMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #263 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 3,378 boysMNIllinois: #268 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 2,119 boysILWisconsin: #250 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,073 boysWIMichigan: #260 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 2,657 boysMINew York: #398 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 4,157 boysNYMassachusetts: #256 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,205 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedRIOregon: #326 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,239 boysORNevada: #121 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 610 boysNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #165 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 971 boysSDIowa: #171 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,398 boysIAIndiana: #233 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,244 boysINOhio: #239 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 2,496 boysOHPennsylvania: #270 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 3,252 boysPANew Jersey: #376 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 4,049 boysNJConnecticut: #262 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,642 boysCTCalifornia: #271 for boys · 82 births · 1 in 1,935 boysCAUtah: #131 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 863 boysUTColorado: #197 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,342 boysCONebraska: #208 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,795 boysNEMissouri: #310 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,300 boysMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedWVVirginia: #447 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,102 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedDEArizona: #345 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,550 boysAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedKSArkansas: #321 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,968 boysARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #409 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,377 boysLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedMSAlabama: #401 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,189 boysALGeorgia: #511 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,935 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedHITexas: #563 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 6,723 boysTXFlorida: #339 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 2,776 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Montana#115 · 1 in 566
  2. Nevada#121 · 1 in 610
  3. Utah#131 · 1 in 863
  4. South Dakota#165 · 1 in 971
  5. Iowa#171 · 1 in 1,398

Best ever in a state: #25 in Utah, 1958.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Montana#11591 in 566
Nevada#12161 in 610
Utah#131191 in 863
South Dakota#16551 in 971
Iowa#171141 in 1,398
Washington#184171 in 1,421
Colorado#197141 in 1,342
Nebraska#20861 in 1,795
Indiana#233171 in 2,244
Ohio#239301 in 2,496
Wisconsin#250101 in 3,073
Massachusetts#256101 in 3,205
Michigan#260231 in 2,657
Connecticut#26261 in 2,642
Minnesota#26381 in 3,378
Illinois#268371 in 2,119
Pennsylvania#270221 in 3,252
California#271821 in 1,935
Missouri#310101 in 3,300
Arkansas#32151 in 2,968
Oregon#32651 in 3,239
Florida#339171 in 2,776
Arizona#34571 in 2,550
New Jersey#376101 in 4,049
New York#398271 in 4,157
Alabama#40161 in 4,189
Louisiana#40991 in 3,377
Virginia#44751 in 6,102
Georgia#51161 in 5,935
Texas#563161 in 6,723
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New Mexico———
North Carolina———
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Oklahoma———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Tennessee———
Vermont———
West Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Bret
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 156 spots since 2024 (#4,701 → #4,857)
  • 378 spots since 2020 (#5,235 → #4,857)
  • 1,492 spots since 2015 (#3,365 → #4,857)
  • Biggest jump: 369 spots in 1958 (#556 → #187)
  • Biggest drop: 154 spots in 2002 (#714 → #868)
Rise & fade · boys
33 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1926
  • Peaked 1959 at #170 (1,839 births)
  • Births halved by 1961, 2 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 51 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 51 yrs · run 1953–2003
Share of babies · boys
1 in 1,161
  • Highest: 1 in 1,161 boys born in 1959 were named Bret (0.09%)
  • Latest: 1 in 85,404 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1960s
  • 28.2% of all boys named Bret (8,415) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1920s5#4,201 (1926)#4,201
1930s0——
1940s133#1,394 (1947)#2,064
1950s3,963#170 (1959)#803
1960s8,415#223 (1960)#260
1970s5,536#260 (1970)#334
1980s5,581#217 (1982)#360
1990s4,007#418 (1990)#518
2000s1,618#657 (2000)#1,131
2010s431#1,713 (2010)#3,100
2020s130#4,002 (2023)#4,622

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Bret in 1976

boys
#341
505 births · 1 in 3,107 boys

Top boys' names in 1976

  1. #1Michael66,915
  2. #2Jason52,643
  3. #3Christopher45,190
  4. #4David39,265
  5. #5James38,294
  6. #6John33,976
  7. #7Robert33,789
  8. #8Brian30,517
  9. #9Matthew29,951
  10. #10Daniel24,702
  11. #341Bret505
More about 1976

boys

1,569,007 boys got a published name in 1976; 1 in 3,107 of them was named Bret, which outranked 94.7% of the 6,495 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 25.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Bret
  1. #338Kent508
  2. #339Guy507
  3. #339Jimmie507
  4. #341Bret505
  5. #342Freddie504
  6. #343Allan503
  7. #344Terrell502
Biggest movers since 1975
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,506Seneca#4,309 → #803
  2. ↑ 1,165Jameel#2,134 → #969
  3. ↑ 712Delvin#1,658 → #946
  4. ↑ 567Jerimy#1,530 → #963
  5. ↑ 510Jamaal#1,042 → #532
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,113Santino#1,000 → #2,113
  2. ↓ 511Carnell#900 → #1,411
  3. ↓ 453Nakia#337 → #790
  4. ↓ 395Charlton#938 → #1,333
  5. ↓ 376Benjiman#970 → #1,346

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1976 →