How popular is the name Brian?

Brian ranks 15th among boys' names in US records, with 1,594,934 births since 1883. Over the past decade it accounts for 31,066.

Is Brian a unisex name?

No. Brian is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.

1972, when 43,901 children were given the name. It has been in use for 142 years and is still recorded as of 2024.

Bryan, Bryon, Brien, Brion, Bryen. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.

Boy name#15 of boy names

Pronounced B R AY1 AH0 N (ARPABET)

Brian is a boys' name, and first appears in 1883. It has been given to 1,594,934 children — the 15th most common boys' name on record.

It is falling away, down 67% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1972, when 43,901 children were given it.

Five other spellings are counted in that total — Bryan, Bryon, Brien and two more — because they are pronounced identically.

1972Boys: 43,901Girls: 215

These spellings sound identical to Brian and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.

Phonetic detail

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

How popular is the name Brian?: Brian ranks 15th among boys' names in US records, with 1,594,934 births since 1883. Over the past decade it accounts for 31,066.
Is Brian a unisex name?: No. Brian is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Brian most popular?: 1972, when 43,901 children were given the name. It has been in use for 142 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
How else is Brian spelled?: Bryan, Bryon, Brien, Brion, Bryen. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.