Brian
A male given name from Irish.
Every Brian since 1909 — 1,178,298 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Brian
Brian is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #339 in 2025 with 979 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1909, 1,178,298 American babies have been named Brian. Its peak came in 1972, when 36,477 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1970s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Brian stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Brian year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 979 | #339 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,116 | #302 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,049 | #317 |
| 2022 | — | — | 1,180 | #289 |
| 2021 | — | — | 1,188 | #288 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,261 | #271 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,479 | #247 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,631 | #235 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,778 | #216 |
| 2016 | — | — | 1,984 | #204 |
| 2015 | 5 | #16,908 | 2,218 | #189 |
| 2014 | — | — | 2,536 | #168 |
| 2013 | 5 | #16,996 | 2,645 | #150 |
| 2012 | 11 | #9,833 | 2,820 | #141 |
| 2011 | 5 | #17,217 | 3,250 | #122 |
| 2010 | 8 | #12,481 | 3,766 | #101 |
| 2009 | 6 | #15,578 | 4,658 | #94 |
| 2008 | 9 | #11,760 | 5,263 | #87 |
| 2007 | 23 | #5,930 | 6,075 | #81 |
| 2006 | 8 | #12,617 | 6,511 | #72 |
| 2005 | 24 | #5,296 | 6,920 | #63 |
| 2004 | 42 | #3,503 | 7,333 | #59 |
| 2003 | 20 | #5,849 | 7,672 | #59 |
| 2002 | 19 | #5,935 | 8,082 | #51 |
| 2001 | 16 | #6,670 | 8,303 | #46 |
| 2000 | 30 | #4,092 | 8,958 | #43 |
| 1995 | 53 | #2,423 | 10,991 | #36 |
| 1990 | 51 | #2,405 | 16,935 | #27 |
| 1985 | 137 | #1,072 | 23,069 | #18 |
| 1980 | 173 | #885 | 28,715 | #12 |
| 1975 | 151 | #880 | 30,578 | #8 |
| 1970 | 148 | #891 | 31,917 | #8 |
| 1965 | 71 | #1,274 | 24,552 | #19 |
| 1960 | 52 | #1,543 | 22,000 | #20 |
| 1955 | 23 | #2,283 | 10,109 | #40 |
| 1950 | 5 | #5,380 | 4,441 | #79 |
| 1945 | 5 | #4,625 | 1,989 | #113 |
| 1940 | — | — | 1,007 | #163 |
| 1935 | — | — | 254 | #347 |
| 1930 | — | — | 90 | #646 |
| 1925 | — | — | 59 | #872 |
| 1920 | — | — | 31 | #1,301 |
| 1915 | — | — | 21 | #1,510 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Brian
- Brian May Musician · b. 1947
- Brian Johnson Singer · b. 1947
- Brian De Palma Film director · b. 1940
- Brian Wilson Musician · b. 1942
- Brian Jones Musician · 1942–1969
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Brian mean?
A male given name from Irish.
How popular is the name Brian in 2025?
Brian ranked #339 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 979 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Brian?
1,178,298 babies have been named Brian in the United States since 1909, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Brian most popular?
Brian peaked in 1972, when 36,477 newborns received the name.
Is Brian a boy or girl name?
Brian is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Brian rising or falling?
Brian is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Brian?
Well-known people named Brian include Brian May (musician), Brian Johnson (singer), Brian De Palma (film director).