Brandon

Brandon is a traditionally masculine name but in more recent years has been used for girls as well. Its English-Irish meanings vary from "prince" and "brave" to "hill covered with broom" to "from the beacon hill" to "stinking hair" (?!) and beyond.

Famous Brandons in history and pop culture include Brandon Sanderson, Brandon Lee, Brandon Tartikoff, Brandon Christopher McCartney, (aka Lil B), Brandon Routh, Brandon Todd, Brandon Mull, and Brandon Marshall. Brandon Flowers is the lead singer of The Killers. Brandon Teena, formerly Tina Brandon, was a trans man whose murder sparked anti-hate-crime activism in the '90s (and inspired the film 'Boys Don't Cry.')

The name Brandon peaked in popularity in 1992 and has been declining ever since; in 2018 it was the 124th most popular boys' name in the U.S. If you'd like a variant on the name that still sounds similar, you can explore Brand, Brandin, Branton, Brendan, Brando, or even Bran (you know, 'Game of Thrones' names are trending!). Or try other names with the (often Irish) -on or -an ending like Conlon, Canton, Nathan, Aikan, Garvan, Holdan, Vaughan, Landon, or Jadon. Other names meaning "brave" include Aidan, Casey, Conrad, Ethan, Jarrett, Montana, and Wilder. As for other names that mean "stinking hair," we can't help you there.

If you like the '90s vibe of Brandon, try Joshua, Matthew, Christopher, Michael, Nicholas, Daniel or Tyler — some of the decade's other most popular names for boys.

Brandon in quotes:

“In short, heroism means doing the right thing regardless of the consequences.”
— Brandon Mull

"In a sense, all Americans are battle-born. Our ancestors came here for something better."
— Brandon Flowers