Boy · Old Irish and Breton
Brian
Say it: BREE-un
Meaning
Uncertain; often linked to Celtic *brig- 'high, noble', but the etymology is not settled.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Brought to England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror, separately from its Irish use.
Its wave through time
A fashion of the 1970s
In the United States
- 1,172,927 babies given this name since 1909
- At its height in 1973, about 1 in 44 boys
- 1,249 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Bryan, Brien
| English | Bryan |
|---|---|
| Irish | Brian |
| Breton | Brient |
Famous bearers
- Brian Bóruma (Brian Boru), High King of Ireland
- Brian Fitz Count, Breton-born lord of Wallingford
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- The Irish annals and early Irish literature
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- The Domesday Book (1086) source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.