Boy's name

Breandán

“BREN-dawn”

probably from a Welsh word for 'prince'; not from bran, 'raven'

BrendanBrendán

The story behind the name

St Brendan the Navigator sailed west from Kerry in a hide boat looking for the Isle of the Blessed, and the medieval bestseller 'Navigatio Sancti Brendani' described what he found. Tim Severin's 1976 voyage proved a leather curragh really can reach Newfoundland.

Its age Associated with AD 530 — Patrick & the Rise of the Uí Néill. See Ireland in that year on the atlas ↗

Where the name belongs

Kerry

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Breandán?

Breandán is pronounced “BREN-dawn”. Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Breandán mean?

Breandán means probably from a Welsh word for 'prince'; not from bran, 'raven'.

Is Breandán a boy's or a girl's name?

Breandán is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How popular is the name Breandán in Ireland?

Breandán was the number 402 boys' name in the Republic of Ireland in 2025, from number 228 ten years earlier. Its best year was 1965, at number 16. Source: the CSO's register of names given three or more times.

How else is Breandán spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Brendan, Brendán. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

In the register

#402 for boys in 2025 (#228 in 2015) · best: #16 in 1965

The full register → CSO, Republic of Ireland, names given three or more times.

Related names

Breasal Cárthach Tomás Muiris Piaras Finghin

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z