Brinley
Brinley was the 608th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 481 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 328th with 1,000 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 200 places. More babies were named Brinley in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Brynlee) Origin uncertain · English, American English
- Rank in 2025
- #608 girls, down 246 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 481girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20171,000 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,641babies recorded
What does the name Brinley mean?
Brinley is a spelling of Brynlee, pronounced the same way, so it shares Brynlee's meaning and origin.
Brynlee is a 21st-century American spelling. Wiktionary calls it a fanciful spelling of Brinley, an English surname that may be a variant of Brindley. Wikipedia suggests either a blend of Bryn and Lee or a respelling of Brinley, which it glosses 'burned clearing', from the place name Brindley. Its main appeal is its sound, which fits the popular -lee ending.
lēah (Old English, “clearing (in Brinley/Brindley)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. A modern spelling of Brinley or a blend of Bryn + Lee; the 'burned clearing' gloss rests on one source.
Related names: Brinley, Brynley, Bryn, Brinlee.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brynlee', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Brinley', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Brynlee (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Brinley popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 151 since 1997.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #608 | 481 |
| 2020 | #362 | 857 |
| 2010 | #659 | 444 |
| 2000 | #2,108 | 77 |
| 1990 | #8,576 | 9 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Brinley, counting every spelling?
Brinley is a spelling of Brynlee, a name family that ranked #145 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #608 for Brinley on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,313 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brynlee | 1,282 | #243 | 6,840 |
| Brinley | 481 | #608 | 3,136 |
| Brynley | 196 | #1,183 | 895 |
| Brynnlee | 121 | #1,694 | 665 |
| Brinlee | 112 | #1,798 | 643 |
| Brynnley | 40 | #3,727 | 226 |
| Brynlie | 19 | #6,163 | 129 |
| Brinnley | 14 | #7,557 | 99 |
| Brynli | 12 | #8,454 | 81 |
| Brynlea | 11 | #8,968 | 38 |
| Brynnly | 12 | #8,455 | 32 |
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 Brinley?
481 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Brinley (0.13 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Brinley 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 17 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Brinley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Brinley?
About 13,400 people born in the US named Brinley are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 6 and 14. That makes Brinley 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.
Brinley by state
How common Brinley was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (3.6×), New Hampshire (3.4×), Idaho (3.3×), Iowa (3.1×), Wisconsin (2.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, New York, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Brinley: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Brinley, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Brinley
What does Brinley mean?
The origin of Brynlee is uncertain: a modern spelling of Brinley or a blend of Bryn + Lee; the 'burned clearing' gloss rests on one source.
How popular is the name Brinley?
Brinley was the 608th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 481 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 328th with 1,000 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 200 places. More babies were named Brinley in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Brinley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Brinley in the US.
Where is Brinley most popular?
In 2021–2025, Brinley was most common in West Virginia (1.41 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Hampshire and Idaho.