NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Brody

Masculine name of Celtic origin meaning "ditch" or "ridge".

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.

Brody is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Brody popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #99, with 553 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 670 births.

This profile covers 7,230 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 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 83% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 8,514 living people in the UK are called Brody. 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

  • Brody ranked #99 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 553 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2022, when 670 boys were registered as Brody.
  • Brody ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #113 in 2024.
  • About 8,514 living people in the UK are estimated to have Brody as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 98.2% of Brody registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#99

2024

Births in 2024

553

Latest year

Peak year

2022

670 births

Estimated living

8,514

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Brody

In England and Wales birth records, Brody has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 98.2% of registrations are for boys and 1.8% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

98% boys
Boys7,230 (98.2%)Girls134 (1.8%)

Brody registered for boys

  • Ranked #99 in 2024
  • 553 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2022 (670 births)

Brody registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,645 in 2022
  • 4 girls registered in 2022
  • Peak: 2004 (16 births)

Meaning

What does Brody mean?

The name Brody has its origins in the Irish language and culture. It is believed to have derived from the Old Irish word 'brod', which means 'pride' or 'arrogance'. The name is thought to have emerged as a surname during the Middle Ages, likely referring to a person with a proud or haughty demeanor.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name was spelled as 'Brod' or 'Broddy'. Over time, the spelling evolved to the more modern 'Brody'. The name gained popularity in Ireland and Scotland, where it was often associated with families of Celtic descent.

While there are no known references to the name Brody in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in various historical records dating back to the 16th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Brody O'Rourke, an Irish chieftain who lived in the late 1500s.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Brody. One of the most famous was Sir John Brody (1624-1696), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles II. Another prominent individual was Brody Benton (1780-1842), an American politician and soldier who served in the War of 1812.

In the realm of literature, Brody Fairchild was the name of a character in the novel "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The book, published in 1925, is considered a classic of American literature.

Other notable individuals with the name Brody include Brody Wilkinson (1822-1891), a British explorer and naturalist who travelled extensively in Africa, and Brody Jenner (born 1983), an American television personality and socialite.

While the name Brody was historically more common among Irish and Scottish families, it has gained popularity across various cultures and regions in recent times. However, this historical account focuses solely on the origins and early documented instances of the first name Brody.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Brody over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Brody in England and Wales, from 1996 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 Brody, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 553 births in 2024, compared with 670 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0169337506674199620102024

Decades

Brody by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Brody 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 #96 2,930 5
2010s #165 3,565 10
2000s #524 658 10
1990s #853 77 4

Geography

Where Brody is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Brody. 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.

Brody ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #113 in 2024.

Scotland
47
Northern Ireland
19

Across the UK

Brody in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#113 in 2024

25 years of NRS records, 917 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#116 in 2024

20 years of NISRA records, 416 total registered

Related

Names similar to Brody

FAQ

Brody: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Brody was ranked #99 for boys in England and Wales, with 553 births registered.

When was Brody most popular?

The peak year on record was 2022, with 670 babies registered as Brody in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Brody?

Masculine name of Celtic origin meaning "ditch" or "ridge".

How many people are called Brody in the UK?

A total of 7,230 babies have been registered as Brody across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 917 more in Scotland and 416 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Brody most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Brody ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #113 in 2024. 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.