FastNamesBrian
Irish and Celtic name meaning "High, noble, exalted, hill; derived from Old Celtic and Irish bre (meaning 'hill', 'high', or 'exalted') and brig ('power', 'strength').". Ranked 339th for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Brian
High, noble, exalted, hill; derived from Old Celtic and Irish bre (meaning 'hill', 'high', or 'exalted') and brig ('power', 'strength').
Linguistically, Brian is classified under Irish and Celtic naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "BRY-uhn".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Brian has been given to a total of 1,173,735 boys. It has also been given to 4,563 girls.
Peak year: Brian reached its highest relative share among boys in 1973, when 35,686 babies received the name (22,897 per million births).
All-time best rank: 8th place, first achieved in 1970.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 339th with 979 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 189th (down 150 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Brian in the 1970s than in any other decade (322,660 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 116 |
| 1920s | 566 |
| 1930s | 3,173 |
| 1940s | 22,793 |
| 1950s | 112,336 |
| 1960s | 258,129 |
| 1970s | 322,660 |
| 1980s | 233,993 |
| 1990s | 119,309 |
| 2000s | 69,775 |
| 2010s | 24,107 |
| 2020s | 6,773 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Brian is most common in the US
Accounting for when Brian was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Massachusetts: 1.5 times the national rate (42,885 births since 1910).
- New Hampshire: 1.5 times the national rate (5,837 births since 1910).
- Vermont: 1.4 times the national rate (3,004 births since 1910).
- Rhode Island: 1.4 times the national rate (6,098 births since 1910).
- Connecticut: 1.4 times the national rate (18,974 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Brian?
About 1,033,000 living American boys and men share the name Brian. Additionally, an estimated 4,300 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Brian is 49 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Brian
Brian is one of Ireland's most celebrated native personal names, derived from the Old Celtic element *brixs or bre, signifying 'hill', 'height', or 'exalted power'. The name achieved legendary royal status through Brian Boru (c. 941–1014), High King of Ireland who united the Irish kingdoms and decisively broke Norse Viking dominance at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
Breton knights who accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066 introduced the name to Britain, where it flourished in Yorkshire and Brittany-associated regions before receding during the later Middle Ages. Brian was rediscovered in the nineteenth-century Celtic revival and spread rapidly across the English-speaking world.
In the United States, Brian became a titanic mid-century favorite, spending more than three decades inside the national top ten from 1968 through 1979 and peaking at rank eight. With more than one million living American bearers, Brian represents an indelible pillar of American demographic and cultural history, epitomized by musical genius Brian Wilson and actor Brian Cox.
Notable people named Brian
- Brian Wilson (1942–), American musician, songwriter, and co-founder of the Beach Boys
- Brian Cox (1946–), Scottish Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning actor known for Succession
- Brian May (1947–), English musician, astrophysicist, and lead guitarist of Queen
- Brian De Palma (1940–), American acclaimed film director and screenwriter
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 38.
- Edward MacLysaght. The Surnames of Ireland (1985), p. 24.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.