boy's name
Brodie
BROH-dee
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 24,671
Scotland
#16
2024 births
Brodie is a boy's name of Scottish origin taken from a place near Forres in Moray. Its meaning is uncertain — "muddy place" or "ditch" is the usual reading, which sits oddly with a name chosen for its sound.
- Brodie is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2008, when 722 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,559 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Brodie over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. Brodie is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 59 |
| 1920s | 86 |
| 1930s | 59 |
| 1940s | 78 |
| 1950s | 65 |
| 1960s | 67 |
| 1970s | 349 |
| 1980s | 529 |
| 1990s | 1,055 |
| 2000s | 4,277 |
| 2010s | 3,626 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,639 |
What Brodie means
Brodie means a muddy place or ditch, if the usual Gaelic derivation holds. The place name is old enough that its meaning is not securely recoverable, and reference works hedge accordingly.
Where Brodie comes from
Brodie comes from Brodie, a barony and castle near Forres in Moray held by Clan Brodie since at least the twelfth century. The place name is generally traced to the Gaelic brothaigh, a ditch or muddy place, though alternatives have been proposed and none is settled. The -ie spelling is the Scottish clan and place form; Brody with a y is the more common modern first-name variant, and our data holds them separately, which splits the name's real usage across two entries.
Brodie in use
Our data shows Brodie falling, peaking in 2008, at 158 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1912. Brody, the y-spelling, sits at 106 — so the modern respelling outranks the traditional Scottish one, the same pattern seen with Darcie over Darcy and Louie over Louis.
How popular is Brodie?
In 2025, Brodie was given to 338 babies in England and Wales, ranking #158 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Brodie is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Brodie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Brodie also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Brodie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Brodie in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Brodie
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Brodie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Brodie
What does the name Brodie mean?
Usually "muddy place" or "ditch," from the Gaelic brothaigh — though the derivation is not certain.
What is the difference between Brodie and Brody?
Brodie is the Scottish clan and place spelling; Brody is the modern first-name variant, and it now ranks higher.
Is Brodie a clan name?
Yes — Clan Brodie has held the barony near Forres in Moray since at least the twelfth century.
How popular is the name Brodie?
In 2025, Brodie was given to 338 babies in England and Wales, ranking #158 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Brodie a girl's or a boy's name?
Brodie is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Brodie?
Brodie has 2 syllables.
When was Brodie most popular?
Brodie peaked in 2008, when 722 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Brodie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Brodie currently ranks #16 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.