Brier
Brier was the 3965th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 27 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 3451st with 32 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 455 places. More babies were named Brier in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Briar) briar (thorny shrub) · English
- Rank in 2025
- #3,965 boys, up 594 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 27boys
- Girls and boys
- 34% girls, 66% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 201632 babies
- Total since 1880
- 955babies recorded
What does the name Brier mean?
Brier is a spelling of Briar, pronounced the same way, so it shares Briar's meaning and origin.
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
Brier popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,967 | #3,965 | 13 | 27 |
| 2020 | #6,983 | #4,559 | 16 | 21 |
| 2010 | #12,484 | #4,542 | 8 | 21 |
| 2000 | #8,650 | #7,532 | 11 | 8 |
| 1990 | #11,591 | — | 6 | — |
| 1980 | — | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Brier, counting every spelling?
Brier is a spelling of Briar, a name family that ranked #639 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,965 for Brier on its own. Together these spellings went to 424 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Briar | 397 | #686 | 1,900 |
| Brier | 27 | #3,965 | 99 |
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 Brier?
27 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brier (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Brier 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 310 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brier.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brier?
About 600 people born in the US named Brier are alive today, with a median age of 14; half are between 8 and 21. That makes Brier 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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Brier: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brier, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Brier
What does Brier mean?
Brier is a spelling of Briar, which means “briar (thorny shrub)” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Brier?
Brier was the 3965th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 27 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 3451st with 32 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 455 places. More babies were named Brier in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Brier a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 34% girls, 66% boys given the name Brier in the US.