Brien
Brien was the 9864th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 767th with 99 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,730 places. More babies were named Brien in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Bryan) Origin uncertain · Irish, Celtic
- Rank in 2025
- #9,864 boys, down 142 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196399 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,593babies recorded
What does the name Brien mean?
Brien is a spelling of Bryan, pronounced the same way, so it shares Bryan's meaning and origin.
Bryan is a spelling of Brian, the name of the Irish high king Brian Boru (died 1014). DMNES calls the name of uncertain origin, possibly related to a Brittonic word for "high, noble". Medieval Bretons also used Brian, and it came to England after the Norman Conquest; DMNES records Brianus in English records from the 1180s.
*brigonos (Proto-Brythonic, “high, noble (suggested)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES calls the origin uncertain.
Related names: Brian, Bryant, Brianna.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Bryan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Brian', DMNES, Durham University
Brien popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 5 since 1983.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,864 | 7 |
| 2020 | #9,722 | 7 |
| 2010 | #6,740 | 12 |
| 2000 | #2,925 | 30 |
| 1990 | #1,589 | 52 |
| 1980 | #1,048 | 74 |
| 1970 | #881 | 84 |
| 1960 | #898 | 71 |
| 1950 | #1,400 | 27 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Brien, counting every spelling?
Brien is a spelling of Bryan, a name family that ranked #196 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #9,864 for Brien on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,017 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan | 1,005 | #336 | 5,575 |
| Brian | 979 | #339 | 5,512 |
| Bryon | 17 | #5,426 | 92 |
| Brion | 9 | #8,361 | 61 |
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 Brien?
7 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brien (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Brien 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 1,224 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brien.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brien?
About 3,100 people born in the US named Brien are alive today, with a median age of 50; half are between 36 and 61. That makes Brien mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Brien by state
How common Brien was among boys born in each state in 1961–1965, around its peak. In 39 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Brien: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brien, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Brien
What does Brien mean?
The origin of Bryan is uncertain: DMNES calls the origin uncertain.
How popular is the name Brien?
Brien was the 9864th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 767th with 99 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,730 places. More babies were named Brien in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Brien a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Brien in the US.
Where was Brien most popular?
In 1961–1965, Brien was most common in Michigan (0.06 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wisconsin and California.