NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Braiden

Strong and bold; derived from the combination of "brave" and "aidan".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Braiden is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Braiden popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 29 births.

This profile covers 358 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 17% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 415 living people in the UK are called Braiden. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Braiden ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2010, when 29 boys were registered as Braiden.
  • Braiden ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #433 in 2021.
  • About 415 living people in the UK are estimated to have Braiden as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3688

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2010

29 births

Estimated living

415

2026

Meaning

What does Braiden mean?

The name Braiden has its origins in the Gaelic language, specifically the Scottish and Irish Gaelic dialects. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th or 13th century.

The name Braiden is derived from the Gaelic word "braid," which means "salmon." This connection to the fish likely stems from the importance of salmon in the diets and folklore of the ancient Celtic peoples who inhabited the Scottish Highlands and parts of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Braiden appears in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle that covers events from the 5th to the 16th century. In this text, the name is spelled "Bráidín" and is used to refer to a minor chieftain from the medieval Irish province of Ulster.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Braiden. One of the earliest was Braiden O'Donnell, a 13th-century Irish chieftain and warrior who fought against the Anglo-Norman invaders of Ireland. Another historical figure was Braiden MacLeod, a 16th-century Scottish clan chief from the Isle of Skye who played a role in the Scottish clan wars of the time.

In the 18th century, Braiden Campbell was a Scottish philosopher and essayist who wrote extensively on moral and political topics. His most famous work, "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations," published in 1776, is considered a foundational text in modern economics.

In the 19th century, Braiden O'Brien was an Irish poet and nationalist who composed several works celebrating Irish culture and advocating for Irish independence from British rule. He lived from 1832 to 1899 and was a prominent figure in the Irish literary revival of the late 19th century.

Finally, in the 20th century, Braiden McGuire was a Canadian author and playwright who wrote extensively about life in rural Nova Scotia. He was born in 1912 and passed away in 1988, leaving behind a rich body of work that captured the essence of Maritime culture and folklore.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Braiden over time

The chart below shows babies named Braiden registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Braiden, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 29 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Braiden
07152229199720102024

Decades

Braiden by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Braiden was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3054 31 5
2010s #1640 175 10
2000s #1510 136 10
1990s #2114 16 3

Geography

Where Braiden is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Braiden. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Braiden ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #433 in 2021.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Braiden in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#704 in 2018

10 years of NRS records, 44 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#433 in 2021

4 years of NISRA records, 16 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Braiden

  • Braiden Graham

    association football player

    Northern Irish association football player

    2007-

Related

Names similar to Braiden

FAQ

Braiden: questions and answers

How popular is the name Braiden in the UK right now?

In 2024, Braiden was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Braiden most popular?

The peak year on record was 2010, with 29 babies registered as Braiden in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Braiden?

Strong and bold; derived from the combination of "brave" and "aidan".

How many people are called Braiden in the UK?

A total of 358 babies have been registered as Braiden across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 44 more in Scotland and 16 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Braiden most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Braiden ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #433 in 2021. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.