Brenton is an English surname and place name from Devon, usually explained as "Bryni's settlement", with Bryni being an Old English personal name derived from the word for "flame". It gained ground in America as a longer alternative to Brent. In the United States Brenton ranked number 715 in 2000, left the top 1000 later that decade and stands at number 2096 among boys' names in 2025.