Brian

Did you know?

A few things about Brian you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Brian

Brian David Josephson

Welsh physicist

Choose Brian and your child shares a first name with Brian David Josephson, a Welsh physicist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Brian, like who?” Brian David Josephson's Wikipedia article is available in 77 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Brian David Josephson on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Brian Josephson, CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,745 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Brian, 979 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Brian would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryBrian first shows up in US birth records in 1909, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 116 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1977, when it ranked #8. Today it's #339, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowBrian was 8.0× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 219 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 1,745.
• 🍂TrendBrian has slipped 68 places over the last five years and now sits at #339. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedBrian is the #168 boy name in 2 states, including Washington, D.C., Delaware and Delaware. It's in the top 1,000 in 39 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Irish, Brian means “possibly noble, strong”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and Gaelic roots.

About the name Brian

Brian is a boy name of Celtic, English and Gaelic origin meaning “possibly noble, strong”. It has 5 letters and 1 syllable, starting with B and ending in “-ian”. US birth records list Brian for boys from 1909 to 2025, in 116 of those 117 years. Its best year was 1977, when it ranked #8 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #339, with 979 babies.

Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesGaelic namesIrish names