Brian: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced BRY-uhn · 2 syllables

Borrowed from Irish Brian. Doublet of Brendan.

How popular is Brian?

Brian was the #339 name in the US in 2025, given to 979 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 59% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1970.

Babies named Brian in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1970).

Half of US adults named Brian are older than 50; most are between 25 and 70. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Brian have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Brian is pronounced BRY-uhn.

Brian was the #339 name in the US in 2025, given to 979 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 59% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1970.

Half of US adults named Brian are older than 50. Most are between 25 and 70.