Bri
A feminine diminutive form of Bridget meaning "strength" or "exalted one".
Name Census estimates that about 298 living Americans carry the first name Bri. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Bri today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bri births was 2007 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bri. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
298
~ 1 in 1,150,182 Americans
Peak year
2007
18 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,390
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Bri: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bri from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 95 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Bri remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bri by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bri during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bri
The name Bri is derived from the Old Irish Gaelic word "brigh," which means "strength" or "vigor." Its origins can be traced back to ancient Celtic cultures, particularly in Ireland and Scotland, where it was a popular name for both men and women.
In early Irish mythology, the name Bri appears in various forms, such as Brig, Bride, or Brigid. It was often associated with the Celtic goddess of fire, poetry, and healing, known as Brigid or Bride. This goddess was revered by the ancient Celts and played a significant role in their religious and cultural traditions.
The earliest recorded use of the name Bri dates back to the 5th century AD, when St. Brigid of Kildare, one of Ireland's patron saints, was born. She is renowned for her dedication to the church and her charitable works, establishing several monasteries and becoming an influential figure in early Irish Christianity.
Throughout history, the name Bri has been borne by notable individuals, including:
1. Bri Bhendog (c. 450-510), a Welsh monk and saint who founded several churches in Wales and Brittany.
2. Bri Terion (c. 620-668), an Irish missionary and bishop who played a crucial role in the evangelization of Scotland.
3. Bri Mac Aide (c. 970-1025), an Irish king of Leinster and a prominent figure in the Irish annals.
4. Bri O'Malley (c. 1530-1603), a legendary Irish pirate queen who ruled the sea along the west coast of Ireland.
5. Bri Mooney (1886-1972), an Irish revolutionary and politician who fought for Irish independence and later served in the Dáil Éireann.
The name Bri has maintained its popularity throughout the centuries, particularly in Ireland, Scotland, and other Celtic regions. It has also gained recognition globally, often seen as a shortened form of longer names like Bridget or Brianna.
People
Bri + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bri as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bri: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bri?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 298 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bri going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,150,182 US residents.
Is Bri a common name?
We classify Bri as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 305 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bri most popular?
The single biggest year for Bri was 2007, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bri is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bri a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bri in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.