Brett began as a medieval English surname for someone from Brittany and means "a Breton". It became a first name in the English-speaking world in the 20th century and has a crisp, sporty feel in America, helped by quarterback Brett Favre. In the United States Brett ranked number 163 in 2000, slipped out of the top 1000 after 2020 and sits at number 1382 in 2025.