I think it is a good name and don't think it's a problem that it's a word, because it's just really extremely namey. When it's used as a name, it sounds like a name. It wouldn't occur to me to connect it with the idea of cereal bran, or if it did it wouldn't distract me. And I'm one who is often distracted by word soundalikes.
Bran as a person's name reminds me more of
Bram,
Brad, and
Brian than it does of cereal.
This message was edited 4/21/2013, 2:07 PM