boy's name
Brody
BROH-dee
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 101,188
the United States
#236
2025 births
Brody is a boy's name of Scottish origin taken from a place near Forres in Moray. Its meaning is uncertain — usually given as "muddy place" or "ditch," which sits oddly with a name chosen for its modern sound.
- Brody is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 2008, when 6,319 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,222 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1954.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Brody over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 27 |
| 1960s | 39 |
| 1970s | 538 |
| 1980s | 1,225 |
| 1990s | 5,014 |
| 2000s | 26,819 |
| 2010s | 37,380 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,918 |
What Brody means
Brody means a muddy place or ditch, if the usual Gaelic derivation is right. The Scottish place name is old enough that its meaning is not securely recoverable, and reference works hedge accordingly.
Where Brody comes from
Brody comes from Brodie, a barony and castle near Forres in Moray, held by the Clan Brodie since at least the twelfth century. The place name is generally traced to the Gaelic brothaigh, a ditch or muddy place, though the derivation is not certain and alternatives have been proposed. Families took the place name as a surname, and it moved into first-name use in North America in the late twentieth century — which is why our records show it appearing only in 1954, very late for a name with a medieval pedigree.
Brody in use
Our data shows Brody falling, peaking in 2008, at 106 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1954, making it one of the youngest names we have written up despite its origins being nine centuries old. Its peak places it with Cody and Jordan among surname-names that rose and fell within about twenty years.
How popular is Brody?
In 2025, Brody was given to 1,492 babies in the United States, ranking #236 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Brody is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Brody
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Brody also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Brody over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Brody 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 Brody
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Brody — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Brody
What does the name Brody mean?
Usually "muddy place" or "ditch," from the Gaelic brothaigh — though the derivation of the place name is not certain.
What is the difference between Brody and Brodie?
Brodie is the Scottish place and clan spelling; Brody is the more common modern first-name form.
Is Brody an old name?
The place and clan are medieval, but as a first name it is recent — our records show it only from 1954.
How popular is the name Brody?
In 2025, Brody was given to 1,492 babies in the United States, ranking #236 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Brody a girl's or a boy's name?
Brody is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Brody?
Brody has 2 syllables.
When was Brody most popular?
Brody peaked in 2008, when 6,319 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Brody a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Brody currently ranks #106 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.