UK boy's name
Brenton
From the Celtic name meaning "prince or hill of wisdom".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Brenton is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Brenton popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 7 births.
This profile covers 42 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 42 living people in the UK are called Brenton. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Brenton ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 7 boys were registered as Brenton.
- • About 42 living people in the UK are estimated to have Brenton as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4789
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2005
7 births
Estimated living
42
2026
Meaning
What does Brenton mean?
The name Brenton has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the words "brent" meaning "burnt" or "burned" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement." It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, possibly around the 7th or 8th century, when many place names in England were formed by combining descriptive words with the word "tun."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Brenton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as a place name, "Brentun," which likely referred to a settlement that had been affected by a fire or burning event.
In the following centuries, Brenton began to be used as a given name, likely influenced by the popularity of place names as personal names during that time. One of the earliest known individuals with the name Brenton was Sir Brenton Haliburton, a Scottish knight who lived in the 14th century and fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Another notable figure with the name Brenton was Jahleel Brenton, an English clergyman and scholar who lived from 1691 to 1724. He is best known for his translation of the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which was published in 1844, several years after his death.
In the 19th century, Rear Admiral Brenton Brine Brenton (1773-1848) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was known for his contributions to the development of naval signals and communication systems.
Another historical figure with the name Brenton was Sir Brenton Halliburton Sillitoe (1792-1867), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) and the Governor of Malta.
In more recent times, Brenton Thwaites (born 1989) is an Australian actor known for his roles in films such as "The Giver," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," and the television series "Titans."
While the name Brenton has its roots in Old English and has been used throughout history, it is relatively uncommon today compared to other English names. However, its connection to place names and its unique sound have contributed to its enduring presence as a given name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Brenton over time
The chart below shows babies named Brenton registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Brenton, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brenton by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Brenton 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 | #4789 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4430 | 10 | 3 |
| 2000s | #2744 | 20 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2227 | 9 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Brenton
- Benjamin 90,412
- Ben 36,356
- Bradley 30,230
- Brandon 26,411
- Billy 18,608
- Bobby 16,904
- Blake 16,337
- Bailey 16,014
- Brody 7,230
- Beau 6,722
- Barnaby 5,284
- Brodie 4,801
FAQ
Brenton: questions and answers
How popular is the name Brenton in the UK right now?
In 2022, Brenton was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Brenton most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 7 babies registered as Brenton in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Brenton?
From the Celtic name meaning "prince or hill of wisdom".
How many people are called Brenton in the UK?
A total of 42 babies have been registered as Brenton across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.