Brendan in Irish: Breandan
The Irish form of Brendan is Breandan. Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish form
- Breandan
- Gender
- Boy
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 402 for boys (2025)
How do you say Brendan in Irish?
Brendan in Irish is Breandan, pronounced BREN-dawn. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Breandan mean?
Breandan is an Irish boy's name made famous by St. Breandan the Navigator. Brendan is one of the English forms of the name.
Read more about Breandan: its meaning, origin and stories
How popular is Brendan in Ireland?
In 2025, 9 baby boys in Ireland were named Brendan, which made it No. 402 that year. That's down from No. 228 ten years earlier. It was most popular in 1966, when 440 baby boys were named Brendan, No. 16 that year. The records go back to 1964, when 426 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | No. 402 |
| 2024 | 9 | No. 394 |
| 2023 | 15 | No. 288 |
| 2022 | 25 | No. 205 |
| 2021 | 15 | No. 296 |
| 2020 | 25 | No. 198 |
| 2019 | 16 | No. 285 |
| 2018 | 24 | No. 224 |
| 2017 | 25 | No. 220 |
| 2016 | 20 | No. 245 |
| 2015 | 24 | No. 228 |
| 2014 | 27 | No. 215 |
| 2013 | 30 | No. 199 |
| 2012 | 46 | No. 152 |
| 2011 | 42 | No. 164 |
| 2010 | 46 | No. 154 |
| 2009 | 36 | No. 167 |
| 2008 | 45 | No. 148 |
| 2007 | 43 | No. 145 |
| 2006 | 55 | No. 112 |
| 2005 | 46 | No. 119 |
| 2004 | 57 | No. 104 |
| 2003 | 75 | No. 81 |
| 2002 | 65 | No. 84 |
| 2001 | 59 | No. 90 |
| 2000 | 73 | No. 76 |
| 1999 | 66 | No. 84 |
| 1998 | 60 | No. 78 |
| 1997 | 100 | No. 73 |
| 1996 | 125 | No. 60 |
| 1995 | 118 | No. 64 |
| 1994 | 134 | No. 54 |
| 1993 | 144 | No. 54 |
| 1992 | 158 | No. 52 |
| 1991 | 149 | No. 53 |
| 1990 | 167 | No. 50 |
| 1989 | 198 | No. 39 |
| 1988 | 208 | No. 39 |
| 1987 | 291 | No. 36 |
| 1986 | 256 | No. 38 |
| 1985 | 260 | No. 37 |
| 1984 | 315 | No. 32 |
| 1983 | 322 | No. 33 |
| 1982 | 365 | No. 30 |
| 1981 | 343 | No. 29 |
| 1980 | 372 | No. 26 |
| 1979 | 389 | No. 23 |
| 1978 | 393 | No. 21 |
| 1977 | 384 | No. 22 |
| 1976 | 432 | No. 19 |
| 1975 | 381 | No. 24 |
| 1974 | 343 | No. 27 |
| 1973 | 374 | No. 22 |
| 1972 | 345 | No. 23 |
| 1971 | 368 | No. 21 |
| 1970 | 395 | No. 21 |
| 1969 | 390 | No. 21 |
| 1968 | 409 | No. 19 |
| 1967 | 405 | No. 16 |
| 1966 | 440 | No. 16 |
| 1965 | 436 | No. 16 |
| 1964 | 426 | No. 17 |
Breandan in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Breandan, letter by letter.
- BBeith, birch
- RRuis, elder
- EEadhadh, aspen
- AAilm, pine
- NNion, ash
- DDair, oak
- AAilm, pine
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Brendan
Questions about Brendan
- What is Brendan in Irish?
- The Irish form of Brendan is Breandan, pronounced BREN-dawn.
- How do you pronounce Breandan?
- Breandan is pronounced BREN-dawn. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- Is Brendan a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Brendan is a boy's name.
- How popular is Brendan in Ireland?
- In 2025, Brendan was No. 402 for boys in Ireland, with 9 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1966, at No. 16.