Boy · #332 in 2026

Brian

Brian is a masculine given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.

Current Rank
#332
Peak Rank
#8 (1972)
Total Babies
1.2M
5-Yr Trend
-26%
1943
First Year
2015
Last Year
1977
Peak Year
#829
Peak Rank
5K
Total Count
71
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Brian

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Brian is a masculine given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word meaning "high" or "noble". For example, the element bre means "hill"; which could be transferred to mean "eminence" or "exalted one". The name is quite popular in Ireland, on account of Brian Boru , a 10th-century High King of Ireland . The name was also quite popular in East Anglia during the Middle Ages . This is because the name was introduced to England by Bretons following the Norman Conquest . Bretons also settled in Ireland along with the Normans in the 12th century, and 'their' name was mingled with the 'Irish' version. Al

The Story of Brian

Brian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1909, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1972, when 36,309 Brians were born — ranking #8 that year. As of 2026, Brian ranks #332 for baby boys with 1,047 births, falling sharply (-26%). In total, more than 1.2M Brians have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Brian

Phonetically similar names — useful when Brian is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Brian

What does the name Brian mean?
Brian is a masculine given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
How popular is Brian in 2026?
In 2026, Brian ranks #332 among boys' names in the U.S., with 1,047 babies given the name that year.
When was Brian most popular?
Brian reached its peak popularity in 1972, ranking #8 that year with 36,309 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Brian most popular?
Brian has historically been most popular in Pennsylvania, Montana, Nebraska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Brian.
Is Brian a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Brian is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Brian?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Brian include Thomas, Edward, Harry. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Brian

Brian is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 1.2M births in the dataset. Brian's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #8. Use the chart and map above to compare Brian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.