Brian
Meaning: “High, noble”
About the name Brian
Brian is a boy name with Irish roots, meaning “High, noble”. It is related to Brendan, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a classic feel. In 2025, Brian ranked #339 for boys in the US, with 979 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1972. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Brian were boys.
Etymology
Shares its root with Brendan, which comes from Old Welsh, meaning “prince, king”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Brian”, “Brendan”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #339
- In 2015
- #189
- Babies in 2025
- 979
Popularity of Brian, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Names similar to Brian
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.