Briar
Briar was the 400th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 778 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 436 places. More babies were named Briar in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning briar (thorny shrub) · English
Say it BRY-er /ˈbraɪər/
- Rank in 2025
- #400 girls, up 167 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 778girls
- Girls and boys
- 62% girls, 38% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025778 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,349babies recorded
What does the name Briar mean?
Briar is the English word for a thorny shrub such as the wild rose, and Wiktionary also records it as a surname from Middle English brere, "briar". Dictionary.com notes a separate briar, the heath plant used for tobacco pipes, from French bruyère. As a unisex given name it is modern, recalling Briar Rose, the name of Sleeping Beauty in the Brothers Grimm.
brēr (Old English, “briar, thorn”)brere (Middle English, “briar”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Brier, Briar Rose, Rose.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Briar', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'briar', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Briar popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #400 | #686 | 778 | 397 |
| 2020 | #567 | #757 | 519 | 318 |
| 2010 | #2,590 | #1,105 | 70 | 173 |
| 2000 | #3,674 | #1,282 | 35 | 101 |
| 1990 | #10,343 | #1,813 | 7 | 43 |
| 1980 | #8,263 | #6,367 | 7 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Briar, counting every spelling?
Briar is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #415 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #400 for Briar on its own. Together these spellings went to 791 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briar | 778 | #400 | 3,093 |
| Brier | 13 | #7,967 | 51 |
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 Briar?
778 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Briar (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Briar 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 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Briar.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Briar?
About 7,000 people born in the US named Briar are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 3 and 10. That makes Briar a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Briar by state
How common Briar was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in North Dakota (8.4×), Montana (7.6×), South Dakota (6.4×), Iowa (5.5×), Nebraska (4.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Nevada, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Briar: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Briar, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Briar · Sibling names for Briar
Questions about the name Briar
What does Briar mean?
Briar means “briar (thorny shrub)” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Briar?
Briar was the 400th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 778 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 436 places. More babies were named Briar in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Briar a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 62% girls, 38% boys given the name Briar in the US.
Where is Briar most popular?
In 2021–2025, Briar was most common in North Dakota (3.19 per 1,000 girls), followed by Montana and South Dakota.