Briana
Briana was the 661st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 431 babies. Its best year was 1994, when it ranked 68th with 5,000 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 240 places. More babies were named Briana in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Brianna) Origin uncertain · Irish, Celtic
- Rank in 2025
- #661 girls, down 47 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 431girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19945,000 babies
- Total since 1880
- 97,326babies recorded
What does the name Briana mean?
Briana is a spelling of Brianna, pronounced the same way, so it shares Brianna's meaning and origin.
Brianna is a feminine form of the Irish name Brian, as Wikipedia explains; Briana is the older spelling. DMNES calls Brian of uncertain origin, possibly from a Brittonic word meaning 'high, noble', and lists the Irish high king Brian Boru. Wikipedia notes that Briana appears in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1590s) and was occasionally used in England from then on, though it became common only in the late 20th century.
Brian (Irish, “Brian”)*brigonos (Proto-Brythonic, “high, noble (possible)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. A feminine of Brian, whose origin DMNES calls uncertain.
Related names: Briana, Breanna, Bryanna, Brian, Bri.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brianna', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Brianna', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Brian', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Briana popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 206 since 1984.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #661 | 431 |
| 2020 | #614 | 475 |
| 2010 | #183 | 1,692 |
| 2000 | #83 | 3,754 |
| 1990 | #109 | 3,067 |
| 1980 | #381 | 602 |
| 1970 | #1,477 | 68 |
| 1960 | #3,370 | 14 |
| 1950 | #3,995 | 8 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Briana, counting every spelling?
Briana is a spelling of Brianna, a name family that ranked #193 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #661 for Briana on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,803 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brianna | 1,372 | #222 | 8,244 |
| Briana | 431 | #661 | 2,692 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Briana?
431 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Briana (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Briana born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 19 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Briana.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Briana?
About 95,400 people born in the US named Briana are alive today, with a median age of 28; half are between 21 and 33. That makes Briana mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Briana by state
How common Briana was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (2.9×), New Jersey (2.0×), Connecticut (2.0×), Florida (1.9×), Virginia (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Michigan, Utah, Missouri.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Briana: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Briana, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Briana
What does Briana mean?
The origin of Brianna is uncertain: a feminine of Brian, whose origin DMNES calls uncertain.
How popular is the name Briana?
Briana was the 661st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 431 babies. Its best year was 1994, when it ranked 68th with 5,000 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 240 places. More babies were named Briana in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Briana a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Briana in the US.
Where is Briana most popular?
In 2021–2025, Briana was most common in Maryland (0.96 per 1,000 girls), followed by Rhode Island and New Jersey.