Bret

Bret is a boy's name of English origin meaning “a Breton.” In 2024 it was given to 21 boys in the United States.

Bret at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
English & American
Meaning
“a Breton”

About the name Bret

Bret belongs to the English & American tradition. Its meaning — “a Breton” — is the sense carried by its English roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Bret first appears in Social Security records in 1926. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #170 in 1959, and in 2024 21 babies received the name — 29,798 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Bret in US records

First recorded (US)
1926
Best US rank
#170 in 1959
Peak year
1959
Babies named Bret in 2024
21
Total since 1880
29,798

Bret in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1996
Best rank
#887 in 1998
Babies named Bret in 2017
4
Total since 1996
139

Similar names

More names from the English & American shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Bret mean?

Bret means “a Breton” in its English roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Bret a boy or girl name?

Bret is a boy name. In 2024, 21 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Bret?

Bret comes from the English & American tradition.

How popular is the name Bret?

Bret first appears in US records in 1926. Its best-ever ranking was #170 in 1959, and 21 babies were given the name in 2024.

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.