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Bradley


Gender: Masculine
Language
: English
Etymology:
Bradley comes from an English surname meaning “Broad Clearing” from “brad” (broad) and “leah” (field, meadow, clearing).

History:
Bradley first appeared as a first name in the 19th century. It was especially popular towards the end of the 20th century.

Originally, it would have been bestowed upon sons as either a first or a middle name in order to honor the Bradley surname. For example, a woman named Mary Bradley who married a man named John Smith, may name her son John Bradley Smith, or merely Bradley Smith. Or a man wishing to honor Judge Thomas Bradley may name his son Thomas Bradley Johnson, or Bradley Johnson. Because the surname Bradley was fairly common, so, comparatively, was the first name Bradley.

The first name Bradley began its climb to popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, perhaps thanks to WWII general Omar Bradley.


Pronunciation: brad-lee.

Diminutives: Brad.

Alternates: Bradleah, Bradlee, Bradly, Broadly, Broadley, Bratly, Bratley.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Bradley Tomllin (1899-1953)
American painter.

Fictional Characters:
Bradley Headstone (1864)
From Charles Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend.

Military Figures:
Omar Nelson Bradley (1893-1981)
American general.

Scientists:
Bradley Allen Fiske (1854-1842)
American inventor.
Bradley Dewey (1887-1974)
American chemical engineer.


Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.159 % of males named Bradley
0.073 % of males named Brad
0.005 % of males named Bradly

0.054 % surnamed Bradley


Popularity of Bradley:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 835th most popular.
1875: 841st most popular.
1880: 908th most popular.
1881: 563rd most popular.
1882: 944th most popular.
1883: 677th most popular.
1884: N/A
1885: 641st most popular.
1886: N/A
1887: 922nd most popular.
1888: N/A
1889: 974th most popular.
1890: 667th most popular.
1891: 963rd most popular.
1892: N/A
1893: 907th most popular.
1894: 730th most popular.
1895: 368th most popular.
1896: 400th most popular.
1897: 496th most popular.
1898: 545th most popular.
1899: 786th most popular.
1900: 649th most popular.
1901: 637th most popular.
1902: 794th most popular.
1903: N/A
1904: 587th most popular.
1905: 836th most popular.
1906: 710th most popular.
1907: 699th most popular.
1908: 613th most popular.
1909: 635th most popular.
1910: 729th most popular.
1911: 666th most popular.
1912: 712th most popular.
1913: 709th most popular.
1914: 793rd most popular.
1915: 736th most popular.
1916: 710th most popular.
1917: 909th most popular.
1918: 696th most popular.
1919: 915th most popular.
1920: 683rd most popular.
1921: 884th most popular.
1922: 702nd most popular.
1923: 724th most popular.
1924: 712th most popular.
1925: 728th most popular.
1926: 707th most popular.
1927: 671st most popular.
1928: 581st most popular.
1929: 563rd most popular.
1930: 533rd most popular.
1931: 447th most popular.
1932: 477th most popular.
1933: 439th most popular.
1934: 438th most popular.
1935: 357th most popular.
1936: 370th most popular.
1937: 377th most popular.
1938: 394th most popular.
1939: 397th most popular.
1940: 379th most popular.
1941: 343rd most popular.
1942: 328th most popular.
1943: 337th most popular.
1944: 340th most popular.
1945: 338th most popular.
1946: 268th most popular.
1947: 221st most popular.
1948: 193rd most popular.
1949: 174th most popular.
1950: 152nd most popular.
1951: 145th most popular.
1952: 141st most popular.
1953: 118th most popular.
1954: 107th most popular.
1955: 107th most popular.
1956: 103rd most popular.
1957: 107th most popular.
1958: 108th most popular.
1959: 103rd most popular.
1960: 90th most popular.
1961: 87th most popular.
1962: 87th most popular.
1963: 82nd most popular.
1964: 77th most popular.
1965: 72nd most popular.
1966: 68th most popular.
1967: 67th most popular.
1968: 57th most popular.
1969: 53rd most popular.
1970: 47th most popular. - Peak!
1971: 58th most popular.
1972: 61st most popular.
1973: 62nd most popular.
1974: 58th most popular.
1975: 52nd most popular.
1976: 51st most popular.
1977: 49th most popular.
1978: 53rd most popular.
1979: 47th most popular.
1980: 51st most popular.
1981: 50th most popular.
1982: 51st most popular.
1983: 52nd most popular.
1984: 53rd most popular.
1985: 53rd most popular.
1986: 54th most popular.
1987: 56th most popular.
1988: 57th most popular.
1989: 58th most popular.
1990: 67th most popular.
1991: 70th most popular.
1992: 74th most popular.
1993: 75th most popular.
1994: 84th most popular.
1995: 78th most popular.
1996: 84th most popular.
1997: 96th most popular.
1998: 101st most popular.
1999: 105th most popular.
2000: 130th most popular.
2001: 147th most popular.
2002: 151st most popular.
2003: 166th most popular.
2004: 176th most popular.

Popularity of Bradly:
Popularity (for newborns)
:
In the United States...
1880-1952: N/A
1953: 976th most popular.
1954: 996th most popular.
1955: 920th most popular.
1956: 954th most popular.
1957: 887th most popular.
1958: 879th most popular.
1959: 798th most popular.
1960: 733rd most popular.
1961: 704th most popular.
1962: 792nd most popular.
1963: 776th most popular.
1964: 690th most popular.
1965: 680th most popular.
1966: 767th most popular.
1967: 674th most popular.
1968: 687th most popular.
1969: 590th most popular.
1970: 592nd most popular.
1971: 651st most popular.
1972: 675th most popular.
1973: 688th most popular.
1974: 670th most popular.
1975: 636th most popular.
1976: 645th most popular.
1977: 636th most popular.
1978: 662nd most popular.
1979: 599th most popular.
1980: 588th most popular.
1981: 599th most popular.
1982: 577th most popular.
1983: 614th most popular.
1984: 628th most popular.
1985: 600th most popular.
1986: 601st most popular.
1987: 611th most popular.
1988: 655th most popular.
1989: 651st most popular.
1990: 657th most popular.
1991: 727th most popular.
1992: 736th most popular.
1993: 772nd most popular.
1994: 785th most popular.
1995: 789th most popular.
1996: 861st most popular.
1997: 747th most popular.
1998: 773rd most popular.
1999: 938th most popular.
2000: 945th most popular.
2001-2004: N/A


Selected Sources:
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999
A Dictionary of English Surnames, Reaney and Wilson, 1990
American Surnames, Smith, 1994

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 (www.ssa.gov) - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)


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