Given name & surname
Brent
“from the hill”
Brent is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the hill.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the hill.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Brent through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 140,366
- 139,799 boys · 567 girls
- Most popular year
- 1970
- 4,300 babies
- 2025
- 116
- #1,509 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −30%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 116 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,509 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 29.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 4,269 in 1970. In 2025, California and Florida shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (11 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 119,140 as a first name in 2020; 7,256 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Brent’s family of names
Brent has a related form in Brenton. Brent has a related form in Brenten. Brent has a related form in Brentt.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Brentonvariant
- Brenttvariant
- Brentynvariant
- Brentinvariant
- Brentenvariant
- Brentanvariant
- Brendtvariant
- Brentunvariant
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Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Brent
- Brent SpinerAmerican actorborn 1949
- Brent Scowcroft9th & 17th United States National Security Advisor (1925-2020)
- Brent Sanchofootballer and politician from Trinidad and Tobagoborn 1977
- Brent W. Jett Jr.American astronautborn 1958
- Brent RenaudAmerican documentary filmmaker and journalist (1971–2022)
- Brent BarryAmerican basketball player (born 1971)
- Brent BriscoeAmerican actor and screenwriter (1961–2017)
- Brent Seabrookice hockey playerborn 1985
- Brent HaydenCanadian swimmer, Olympic bronze medallist, world champion, former world record-holderborn 1983
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Brent, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kent
“from the edge or border”
>99% boys
Scott
“a man from Scotland”
>99% boys
Chet
“a vivacious woman”
>99% boys
Heath
“from the untended land of flowering shrubs”
>99% boys
Chad
“one who is warlike”
>99% boys
Vance
“from the marshland”
>99% boys
Brad
“one who has broad shoulders”
>99% boys
Marlon
“resembling a little hawk”
>99% boys