Brendan is an Irish masculine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

in the

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

. It is derived from the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

name Breandán, which is in turn derived from the earlier

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...

Brénainn. The

Old Welsh Old Welsh ( cy, Hen Gymraeg) is the stage of the Welsh language from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh.Koch, p. 1757. The preceding period, from the time Welsh became distinct from Common Brittonic ...

''breenhin'' is the root of the name, meaning prince or king. The mediaeval

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

form of the name, Brendanus, has also influenced the modern English and Irish forms. Variant spellings are Brendon and Brenden. In some cases it is possible that the given name Brandon is also a variant of Brendan. A variant spelling of the Irish ''Breandán'' is Breanndán.

Etymology

The

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

Brendan is an

Anglicised Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

form of the Irish ''Breandán'', in turn derived from the

''Brénainn''. This Old Irish

personal name A personal name, or full name, in onomastic terminology also known as prosoponym (from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον / ''prósōpon'' - person, and ὄνομα / ''onoma'' - name), is the set of names by which an individual person is kno ...

(pronounced r'ēn-in' is derived from a borrowing of the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it h ...

word ''breenhín'', meaning "a prince". Both the English form and the modern Irish form, ''Breandán'', are based upon the mediaeval

form ''Brendanus''. According to one old Irish text there are 17 saints with the name. When used in an Irish sentence it can take the form Bhreandán e.g. ''A Bhreandán'' or ''..do Bhreandán''. Variations of the Irish ''Breandán'' are ''Breanndán'', ''Bhreandán'' and ''Bhreandáin''. There is no etymological link between ''Brendan'' and '' Brenda''. This feminine given name, pronounced , is thought to be derived from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...

element ''brand'', meaning "(flaming) sword". In most cases, the masculine given name Brandon, pronounced , which cited: is considered to be derived from the surname Brandon, which is in turn derived from two

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...

elements.

Variants, cognates

*English – Brandon (in some cases), Brendon *Irish – ''Breandán'', ''Breanndán'' *Latin – ''Brendanus'' *Old Irish – ''Brénainn''

Popularity and use

In some cases, the masculine given name

Brennan Brennan may refer to: People * Brennan (surname) * Brennan (given name) * Bishop Brennan (disambiguation) Places * Brennan, Idlib, a village located in Sinjar Nahiyah in Maarrat al-Nu'man District, Idlib, Syria * Rabeeah Brennan, a village located ...

may be used as a contracted form of Brendan, although it is etymologically unrelated. It is derived from the surname

, an Anglicised form of the Irish ''Ó Braonáin''. The popularity of (forms of) Brendan in Gaelic-speaking countries is thought to have influenced the use and popularity of the etymologically unrelated feminine name Brenda. In 2008, the name was not in the top 100 given names for babies in the United States. However, it ranked within the top 100 given names for babies in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

with 2.60 occurrences per 1,000. During the decades spanning 1900–1940 the name wasn't among the top 1,000 given names recorded for babies in the United States. However, in the 1950s it ranked ''679''; in the 1960s ''448''; in the 1970s ''293''; in the 1980s ''190''; and in the 1990s ''133''. In recent years in the United States, the name has fallen in the ranking of names for babies. In 2000 it ranked ''101''; in 2001 ''115''; in 2002 ''124''; in 2003 ''141''; in 2004 ''149''; in 2005 ''175''; in 2006 ''185''; in 2007 ''205''; and in 2008 ''207''.

People named Brendan

Saint Brendan of Clonfert Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 - c.577), is one of the early Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is also referred to as Brendan the Navigator, Brendan the Voyager, Brendan the Anchorite, Brendan the Bold. The ...

(c. 484 - c. 577), Irish monastic saint * Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above *

Brendan Allen Brendan Allen (born December 28, 1995) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2015, he has also competed for the Legacy Fighting Alliance ...

(born 1995), American mixed martial artist *

Brendan Behan Brendan Francis Aidan Behan (christened Francis Behan) ( ; ga, Breandán Ó Beacháin; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish Republican activist who wrote in both English and ...

(1923–1964), Irish writer *

Brendan Benson Brendan Benson (born November 14, 1970) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released eight solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs. Recording career ''One Miss ...

(born 1970), Detroit-area musician * Brendan Bracken (1901-1958), a British cabinet member *

Brendan Byrne Brendan Thomas Byrne (April 1, 1924 – January 4, 2018) was an American politician, statesman, and prosecutor, serving as the 47th governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, By ...

(1924–2018), American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey *

Brendan Cowell Brendan Cowell is an Australian actor, playwright, and director. Early life and education Cowell was born in Sydney and grew up in the beachside suburb of Cronulla. He credits his mother and high school drama teacher with encouraging him to ...

(born 1976), Australian actor and screenwriter *

Brendan Coyle David "Brendan" Coyle (born 2 December 1962) is an English-Irish actor. He won the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for '' The Weir'' in 1999. He also played Nicholas Higgins in the miniseries '' North & South'', Robert ...

(born 1963), British actor *

Brendan Donnelly Brendan Kevin Donnelly (born July 4, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. A right-hander, Donnelly pitched for twenty-one teams (two of them independents), twelve organizations, two independent leagues, eleven organized minor ...

(born 1971), baseball player * Brendan Evans (born 1986), American tennis player *

Brendan Eich Brendan Eich (; born July 4, 1961) is an American computer programmer and technology executive. He created the JavaScript programming language and co-founded the Mozilla project, the Mozilla Foundation, and the Mozilla Corporation. He served ...

(born 1961), American creator of the JavaScript programming language and co-founder of Mozilla *

Brendan Fevola Brendan Fevola (born 20 January 1981) is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played with the Carlton and Brisbane Lions football clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL). Fevola is regarded as one of the most effectiv ...

(born 1981), Australian footballer *

Brendan Fraser Brendan James Fraser ( ; born December 3, 1968) is an American-Canadian actor known for his leading roles in blockbusters, comedies, and dramatic films. Having graduated from the Cornish College of the Arts in 1990, he made his film debut in '' ...

(born 1968), Canadian-American actor *

Brendan Foster Sir Brendan Foster (born 12 January 1948) is a British former long-distance runner, athletics commentator and road race organiser, who founded the Great North Run, one of the sport's most high profile half-marathon races. As an athlete, he wo ...

(born 1948), British long distance runner *

Brendan Gallagher Brendan Gallagher (born May 6, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and alternate captain for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Canadiens in the fifth round, 147th overall, of the ...

(b. 1992), Canadian hockey player * Brendan Garard (born 1971), Australian hockey player * Brendan Gleeson (born 1955), Irish actor * Brendan Grace (1951–2019), Irish comedian and singer *

Brendan Greene Brendan Greene (born March 29, 1976), better known as PlayerUnknown, is an Irish video game developer. He is best known for his work on '' PUBG: Battlegrounds''. He left active development on the game to form PUBG Special Projects and PlayerUnkn ...

(born 1976), Irish video game developer * Brendan Hansen (born 1981), American swimmer *

Brendan Harris Brendan Michael Harris (born August 26, 1980) is an American retired professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Minnesota T ...

(born 1980), American baseball player *

Brendan Haywood Brendan Todd Haywood (born November 27, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who was a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Following his playing ...

(born 1979), American basketball player * Brendan Hines (born 1976), American actor and musician *

Brendan Horgan Brendan Horgan is an American businessman, and the CEO of Ashtead Group, an industrial equipment rental company and FTSE 100 Index constituent, since May 2019. In 1996, Horgan joined Sunbelt Rentals, Ashtead's North American business, rising to c ...

, American businessman *

Brendan Howlin Brendan Howlin (born 9 May 1956) is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wexford constituency since 1987. He previously served as Leader of the Labour Party from 2016 to 2020, Minister for Public Expendit ...

(born 1956), Irish Labour Party politician * Brendan Lane (basketball) (born 1990), American basketball player * Brendan Langley (born 1994), American football player *

Brendan Leipsic Brendan Leipsic (born May 19, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Leipsic was selected by the Nashville Predators in the third round (89th o ...

(born 1994), Canadian hockey player * Angus Brendan MacNeil (born 1970) Scottish politician, MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar * Brendan Mahon (born 1995), American football player *

Brendan Malone Brendan Thomas Malone (born April 21, 1942) is an American basketball coach. Early life Malone grew up in Astoria, Queens in New York City and graduated from Rice High School. Malone's father, also named Brendan, unloaded freight cars for the R ...

(b. 1942), American basketball coach *

Brendan Murray Brendan Hugh Francis Murray (born 16 November 1996) is an Irish singer and former member of the Irish boy band HomeTown. He represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song " Dying to Try" but failed to qualify for the fi ...

(born 1996), Irish singer * Brendan Murray (born 1995), American record producer known as Bighead *

Brendan Morrison Brendan Morrison (born August 15, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Washington Capita ...

(born 1975), Canadian hockey player *

Brendan Nelson Brendan John Nelson (born 19 August 1958) is a business leader and former Australian politician. He served as the federal Leader of the Opposition from 2007 to 2008, going on to serve as Australia's senior diplomat to the European Union and NA ...

(born 1958), Australian politician * Brendan O'Neill (disambiguation), several people *

Brendan Rodgers Brendan Rodgers (born 26 January 1973) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Premier League club Leicester City. Rodgers began his career as a defender at Ballymena United, where he stayed ...

(born 1973), football manager *

Brendan Ryan (disambiguation) Brendan Ryan may refer to: * Brendan Ryan (Cork politician) (born 1946), Irish Independent (then Labour Party) Senator (1981–1993, 1997–2007) * Brendan Ryan (baseball) (born 1982), U.S. major league baseball player * Brendan Ryan (Dublin polit ...

, several people *

Brendan Shanahan Brendan Frederick Shanahan (born January 23, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player who currently serves as the president and alternate governor for the Toronto Maple Leafs, having previously served as the direct ...

(born 1969), hockey player * Brendan Simbwaye (1934–1972?), Namibian anti-apartheid activist who disappeared in 1972 *

Brendon Small Brendon Small (born February 15, 1975) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, animator, writer, director, producer, and musician known for co-creating the animated series ''Home Movies'' (1999–2004, with Loren Bouchard) and '' Metalocalypse'' ...

(born 1975), American writer, creator of the TV shows ''Home Movies'' and ''Metalocalypse'' * Brendan Smith (disambiguation), ''several people'' *

Brendan Smyth Brendan Smyth O.Praem (8 June 1927 – 22 August 1997) was a Catholic priest from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who became notorious as a child molester, using his position in the Catholic Church to obtain access to his victims. During a period ...

(1927–1997), Irish Roman Catholic priest. * Brendan Walsh (born 1959), American chef *

Brendon Walsh Brendon Michael Walsh (born July 27, 1978) is an American stand-up comedian and podcaster originally from Philadelphia. Career Walsh started performing stand-up comedy in Austin, Texas in 2002. He has appeared on '' The Price Is Right'', '' ...

(born 1978), American stand-up comedian * Brendan White (born 1992), Australian association football player *

Brendan Whitecross Brendan Whitecross (born 25 January 1990) is a former Australian rules football player who played with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. Early career He is an all round sportsman having represented his state in Ath ...

(born 1990), Australian footballer

Fictional characters named Brendan

*Brendan Frye, lead character in the movie ''

Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

'' *Brendan Jones, from Australian television program

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera which broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 5 November 1993, airing at 7:30 pm on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Altogether, 14 seasons and 1,058 episodes were p ...

* Brendan (Pokémon), the main male character of ''Pokémon Ruby'', ''Sapphire'', ''Emerald'', ''Omega Ruby'' and ''Alpha Sapphire'' *

Brendan Brady Brendan Brady is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Emmett J. Scanlan. The character was introduced on 5 August 2010 by series producer Paul Marquess during part of the show's overhaul, and became ...

, from Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' *Brendan, supporting character in the film ''

The Darjeeling Limited ''The Darjeeling Limited'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson, which he co-produced with Scott Rudin, Roman Coppola, and Lydia Dean Pilcher, and co-wrote with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman. The film stars Owen Wi ...

'' *Brendan Richards, from the short-lived ''Doctor Who'' spinoff

K-9 and Company ''K-9 and Company'' is a one-episode television pilot, for a proposed 1981 television spin-off of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It features former series regulars Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist p ...

*Brendan, the main character of the animated fantasy movie ''

The Secret of Kells ''The Secret of Kells'' is a 2009 animated fantasy film about the making of the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the 9th Century. The film is an Irish-French-Belgian co-production animated by Cartoon Saloon, which premiered on 8 F ...

'' *Brendan Conlon, one of the lead characters in the 2011 movie ''Warrior'', played by Joel Edgerton

People named Breandán

Breandán Breathnach Breandán Breathnach (1 April 1912 – 6 November 1985) was an Irish music collector and uilleann piper. In addition to collecting Irish music, he is known for his ''Ceol Rince na hÉireann'' (Dance Music of Ireland) series. Life Breathnach gr ...

(1912–1985), Irish music collector and Uilleann piper * Breandán de Gallaí (born 1969), Irish professional dancer *

Breandán Ó hEithir Breandán Ó hEithir (18 January 1930 – 26 October 1990) was an Irish writer and broadcaster.Breandán Ó Madagain (1932–2020), Irish scholar, writer and celticist

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brendan English-language masculine given names Irish masculine given names ja:ブレンダン pt:Brendan