Brighton
Girl name · #2528 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Brighton? In official American birth records, Brighton has been tracked continuously since 1986, giving it 39 years of documented American history.
Brighton is currently the #2528 girl name in the United States — 70 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1950, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 25,714 girls born in 2025 was named Brighton.
Babies named Brighton per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 39-year story
Brighton first appears in the Social Security records in 1986, when 9 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2017, when 142 girls were named Brighton — good for #1545 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Brighton against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Brighton in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Brighton is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Brighton will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Brighton is most common
State-level data for Brighton is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Brighton
Statistically, parents drawn to Brighton tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Boston, Ellington, Anniston, Kensington, and Aniston.
BostonEllingtonAnnistonKensingtonAnistonLaytonCharlestonBraylynn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Brighton | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 70 | #2514 |
| 2024 | 88 | #2150 |
| 2023 | 85 | #2210 |
| 2022 | 100 | #1961 |
| 2021 | 109 | #1841 |
| 2020 | 130 | #1608 |
| 2019 | 123 | #1700 |
| 2018 | 131 | #1623 |
| 2017 | 142 | #1545 |
| 2016 | 101 | #1972 |
| 2015 | 103 | #1950 |
| 2014 | 98 | #2010 |
| 2013 | 95 | #2032 |
| 2012 | 76 | #2426 |
| 2011 | 74 | #2454 |
| 2010 | 62 | #2803 |
| 2009 | 72 | #2568 |
| 2008 | 47 | #3478 |
| 2007 | 57 | #3047 |
| 2006 | 38 | #3919 |
| 2005 | 45 | #3366 |
| 2004 | 31 | #4387 |
| 2003 | 29 | #4418 |
| 2002 | 32 | #3978 |
| 2001 | 28 | #4321 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Brighton?
In official American birth records, the name Brighton first appeared in 1986 (over 39 years ago), when 9 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 39 years.
Is Brighton a popular girl name?
Brighton ranked #2528 among girls in 2025 with 70 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1950.
When was the name Brighton most popular?
Brighton peaked in 2017, when 142 American girls received the name (ranked #1545 that year). Since 2017 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Brighton?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 25,714 newborn American girls was named Brighton. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.