Given name & surname
Brighton
“from the town near the bridge”
Brighton is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the town near the bridge.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the town near the bridge.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
From Old English Beorthelmestūn (“Beorthelm's farm”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1983. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Brighton through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 5,161
- 3,013 boys · 2,148 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 255 babies
- 2025
- 154
- #1,872 for boys · #2,517 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 48% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 84 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,872 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 12.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 157 in 2012. It also appeared in 70 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Utah had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,850 as a first name in 2020; 1,322 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.
Brighton’s family of names
Brighton has a related form in Brightan. Brighton has a related form in Brighten. Brighton has a related form in Brightin.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Brighton
- Brighton SharbinoAmerican actressborn 2002
- Brighton LabeauMartiniquais footballerborn 1996
- Brighton WatambwaZimbabwean cricketerborn 1977
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Brighton, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Crimson
“as rich and deep as the color”
40% boys · 60% girls
Kaidence
Kaidence is a feminine given name from English.
27% boys · 73% girls
Briar
“resembling a thorny plant”
38% boys · 62% girls
Covey
“a brood of birds”
64% boys · 36% girls
Tatum
“bringer of joy; spirited”
47% boys · 53% girls
Prestyn
“from the priest's town”
61% boys · 39% girls
Aiman
45% boys · 55% girls
Remington
“from the town of the raven's family”
65% boys · 35% girls