Broly

♂ Boy

Pronounced BROH-lee /ˈbroʊ.li/High

Meaning: Invented name for the character Broly in the Dragon Ball Z anime franchise (1993); the name has no etymological meaning but may be loosely inspired by broccoli as part of the franchise's vegetable-naming convention for SaiyansHigh

In 30 seconds: Broly is an invented name from the Dragon Ball Z anime franchise, given to a legendary Saiyan warrior character. Like other Saiyan names in the series, it is loosely derived from a vegetable — in this case, broccoli. It is used as a given name by parents who are fans of the franchise.

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Origin HighJapanese (fictional)

MeaningInvented name for the character Broly in the Dragon Ball Z anime franchise (1993); the name has no etymological meaning but may be loosely inspired by broccoli as part of the franchise's vegetable-naming convention for Saiyans

U.S. rank (2024)#3100 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births39 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2019

Total births (all-time)≈ 453

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Broly first appeared in the 1993 Dragon Ball Z film Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, created by Toei Animation. The character became one of the most popular non-canon figures in the franchise, revered for his enormous power level. In 2018, the character was formally canonized in the film Dragon Ball Super: Broly, greatly expanding his popularity.

As a real given name, Broly began appearing on U.S. birth records in the 2010s and grew as Dragon Ball Super renewed interest in the character. It represents a wave of anime and video game character names entering mainstream American naming culture, alongside names like Goku, Zuko, and Naruto. Parents who choose the name often do so as an explicit tribute to the franchise.

Did you know? Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama named almost every Saiyan character after a vegetable: Vegeta (vegetable), Kakarot (carrot), Raditz (radish), and Broly (broccoli). The naming convention is a running in-joke that fans delight in tracing.

Overall data confidence 82%

Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018 film) — Canon character backstory and nameU.S. Social Security Administration — Occurrence data for Broly as a given name

Variations

Brolly

Nicknames

Bro

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Broly…

Goku— another Dragon Ball character name used as a given name

Zane— modern American two-syllable boys name with similar bold sound

Rylan— contemporary American boys name with similar cadence

Koda— pop-culture-influenced modern American boys name with similar energy

Frequently Asked

What does the name Broly mean?

Broly is an invented name from the Dragon Ball Z anime, likely inspired by broccoli following the franchise's tradition of naming Saiyan characters after vegetables. It has no independent linguistic meaning.

How do you pronounce Broly?

It is said BROH-lee, with two syllables and stress on the first.

Is Broly a boy or girl name?

Broly is used as a boy's name, reflecting the male character from Dragon Ball Z.

How popular is Broly?

Broly is a rare name, found on U.S. birth records primarily after 2018 when the Dragon Ball Super: Broly film renewed the character's popularity.