Skip to content
Name Lineage

    The first name Brent

    A boy’s name from English meaning “steep”.

    Pronounced /bɹɛnt/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    English origin

    Brent means “steep” in English.

    English surname from placenames in Devon and Somerset, from Old English brant (“steep”), referring to hills. Compare Brents.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 5 boys were named Brent, making it the 3,684th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1998, with 32 births (#571).

    02040 1996200020052010201520202025
    243
    babies named Brent, 1996–2025
    #3,684
    rank in 2025
    1998
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Brent with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Brent at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 116 boys born in the United States were named Brent, the 1,509th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1970, when 4,269 were.

    02,5005,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    140,366
    babies named Brent since 1880
    #1,509
    rank in 2025
    1970
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Brent

    46 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Brent Spiner
      American actor, born 1949
    • Brent Scowcroft
      9th & 17th United States National Security Advisor (1925-2020)
    • Brent Sancho
      Footballer and politician from Trinidad and Tobago, born 1977
    • Brent W. Jett
      American astronaut, born 1958
    • Brent Renaud
      American documentary filmmaker and journalist (1971–2022)
    • Brent Barry
      American basketball player (born 1971)
    • Brent Briscoe
      American actor and screenwriter (1961–2017)
    • Brent Seabrook
      Canadian ice hockey player (born 1985)
    • Brent Bookwalter
      American racing cyclist, born 1984
    • Brent Hayden
      Canadian swimmer, Olympic bronze medallist, world champion, former world record-holder, born 1983
    • Brent Burns
      Canadian ice hockey player (born 1985)
    • Brent Weeks
      American fiction writer, born 1977

    More English boys’ names

    All 216 names of English origin

    Questions

    What does the name Brent mean?
    Brent means “steep” in English.
    What is the origin of the name Brent?
    English surname from placenames in Devon and Somerset, from Old English brant (“steep”), referring to hills. Compare Brents.
    How popular is the name Brent?
    In 2025, 5 boys born in England and Wales were named Brent, ranking 3,684th. Its peak was 1998, with 32 births.
    Is Brent a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 140,366 US babies named Brent since 1880 were boys.
    When was Brent most popular?
    1970 in the United States, when 4,269 babies were named Brent, its highest rank at 74th.
    How do you pronounce Brent?
    Brent is /bɹɛnt/, one syllable.
    Is Brent also a surname?
    Yes. Brent is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.