How to say it
BRO · dy
/ˈbroʊ.di/
Masculine
Brody
Muddy place
What it means
Scottish surname from a place name in Moray, possibly from Gaelic brothach ('muddy place'). The Brody clan's seat was Brodie Castle. Adrien Brody (the actor) gave the surname Hollywood anchor.
Brody is a Scottish surname from a place name in Moray, possibly from Gaelic brothach ('muddy place') — though the etymology is contested. The Brodie family was a minor Scottish clan with their seat at Brodie Castle. Adrien Brody (the American actor who won Best Actor for The Pianist, 2002) is the dominant English-language anchor. As a first name Brody surged in the US in the mid-2000s, particularly after The OC's Brody (the abbreviation for Seth Brody Cohen — actually his last name). It entered the US top 100 in 2007. Single short forms aren't common.
Popularity over time
peaked at #70 in 2008, currently #236 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Brody (the dominant US spelling) and Brodie (the Scottish original) are pronounced identically.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Adrien Brody American actor (Brody as surname), The Pianist Oscar 2002
Spelling variants
- Brodie
Names with the same feeling
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By style