The name may be a modern feminine form of Brennan, which is from the Gaelic Braonán (tear; drop) it it comes directly from the Old Norse verb meaning “to burn.” .”
It may also be a feminine form of the latinized Celtic male name, Brennus.
The name first came into use in the 19th-century.
The name has been in and out of the U.S. Top 1000 since 1971. It peaked in 1995, coming in as the 235th most popular female name. As of 2016, it was the 909th most popular female name.
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