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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201997peak #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 1997

  • 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: #445 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 3,746 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #454 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,806 boysMNIllinois: #611 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 6,127 boysILWisconsin: #330 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,613 boysWIMichigan: #529 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 5,391 boysMINew York: #1,186 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 16,414 boysNYMassachusetts: #471 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 6,047 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedSDIowa: #223 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,478 boysIAIndiana: #378 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 3,391 boysINOhio: #401 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 3,889 boysOHPennsylvania: #517 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 5,499 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedNJConnecticut: #383 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,692 boysCTCalifornia: #731 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 9,823 boysCAUtah: #440 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 3,187 boysUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedCONebraska: #216 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,219 boysNEMissouri: #603 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 6,880 boysMOKentucky: #300 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,580 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedWVVirginia: #603 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 6,433 boysVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedDEArizona: #575 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 5,725 boysAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedNMKansas: #390 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,578 boysKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedARTennessee: 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: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedALGeorgia: #746 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 7,169 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Bret, so not publishedHITexas: #770 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 9,239 boysTXFlorida: #629 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 6,134 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Nebraska#216 · 1 in 1,219
  2. Iowa#223 · 1 in 1,478
  3. Kentucky#300 · 1 in 2,580
  4. Wisconsin#330 · 1 in 2,613
  5. Indiana#378 · 1 in 3,391

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Nebraska#21681 in 1,219
Iowa#223111 in 1,478
Kentucky#30091 in 2,580
Wisconsin#330111 in 2,613
Indiana#378111 in 3,391
Connecticut#38351 in 3,692
Kansas#39061 in 2,578
Ohio#401181 in 3,889
Utah#44061 in 3,187
Washington#44591 in 3,746
Minnesota#45461 in 4,806
Massachusetts#47161 in 6,047
Pennsylvania#517121 in 5,499
Michigan#529111 in 5,391
Arizona#57561 in 5,725
Missouri#60351 in 6,880
Virginia#60361 in 6,433
Illinois#611131 in 6,127
Florida#629141 in 6,134
California#731251 in 9,823
Georgia#74671 in 7,169
Texas#770171 in 9,239
New York#1,18671 in 16,414
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South Carolina———
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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 1997

girls
#8,334
10 births · 1 in 174,071 girls
boys
#614
285 births · 1 in 6,615 boys

Top girls' names in 1997

  1. #1Emily25,734
  2. #2Jessica21,045
  3. #3Ashley20,897
  4. #4Sarah20,716
  5. #5Hannah20,597
  6. #6Samantha20,170
  7. #7Taylor19,504
  8. #8Alexis17,171
  9. #9Elizabeth15,430
  10. #10Madison15,189
  11. #8,334Bret10

Top boys' names in 1997

  1. #1Michael37,562
  2. #2Jacob34,163
  3. #3Matthew31,517
  4. #4Christopher29,108
  5. #5Joshua28,289
  6. #6Nicholas27,258
  7. #7Andrew25,208
  8. #8Brandon25,197
  9. #9Austin25,118
  10. #10Tyler24,879
  11. #614Bret285
More about 1997

girls

1,740,710 girls got a published name in 1997; 1 in 174,071 of them was named Bret, which outranked 48.4% of the 16,163 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 11.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Bret
  1. #7,742Zitlali11
  2. #7,742Zuleica11
  3. #7,742Zurisadai11
  4. #8,334Bret10
  5. #8,334Aailyah10
  6. #8,334Aarin10
  7. #8,334Aariona10
  8. #9,017Aaminah9
  9. #9,017Aarica9
  10. #9,017Abagael9

Tied with 682 names at #8,334; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1996
Risers
  1. ↑ 9,582Yulisa#10,567 → #985
  2. ↑ 3,882Yulissa#4,306 → #424
  3. ↑ 2,634Tea#3,429 → #795
  4. ↑ 2,046Taya#2,901 → #855
  5. ↑ 1,202Julisa#1,930 → #728
Fallers
  1. ↓ 931Yamilex#707 → #1,638
  2. ↓ 477Suzette#998 → #1,475
  3. ↓ 457Chynna#834 → #1,291
  4. ↓ 396Moesha#547 → #943
  5. ↓ 377Daijah#975 → #1,352

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

boys

1,885,140 boys got a published name in 1997; 1 in 6,615 of them was named Bret, which outranked 94.3% of the 10,814 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 15.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Bret
  1. #610Gordon289
  2. #612Dillan287
  3. #612Tristian287
  4. #614Bret285
  5. #614Dion285
  6. #616Kelly284
  7. #617Kasey283
  8. #618Raekwon282

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1996
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,420Jaret#2,145 → #725
  2. ↑ 712Kobe#1,265 → #553
  3. ↑ 580Ronaldo#1,465 → #885
  4. ↑ 420Jarett#1,334 → #914
  5. ↑ 416Gianni#1,093 → #677
Fallers
  1. ↓ 562Shaquille#662 → #1,224
  2. ↓ 373Dalvin#977 → #1,350
  3. ↓ 355Montel#990 → #1,345
  4. ↓ 328Codie#884 → #1,212
  5. ↓ 328Jair#884 → #1,212

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

See the top 100 for 1997 →