Brianda
Of Celtic origin, meaning "exalted" or "virtuous".
Name Census estimates that about 1,911 living Americans carry the first name Brianda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brianda today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brianda births was 1992 (265 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brianda. 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 179,359 Americans
Peak year
1992
265 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
1990 SSA rank
#6,961
Tracked since 1979
Gender
Gender distribution for Brianda
Out of the 1,962 babies given the name Brianda since 1880, 99.7% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Brianda as a male name
- Ranked #8,265 in 1990
- 5 male births in 1990
- Peak: 1990 (5 births)
Brianda as a female name
- Ranked #6,961 in 2024
- 16 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1992 (265 births)
Popularity
Brianda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brianda from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 1,087 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brianda 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 Brianda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Briandas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Arizona recorded the most babies named Brianda, while Florida, New York, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 269 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brianda
Brianda is a given name of Spanish origin, derived from the Germanic name Brianda or Brenda, which is believed to have originated from the Old Norse name Brandr, meaning "sword." The name traces its roots back to the medieval era in Spain and surrounding regions.
The earliest known use of the name Brianda can be found in historical records from the 12th and 13th centuries in Spain. It was a relatively common name among noble families and the aristocracy during this time period. The name's popularity likely stemmed from its association with Germanic warrior culture, as the sword symbolized strength and valor.
One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the name Brianda was Brianda de Cabrera (c. 1220-1275), a Spanish noblewoman and the wife of Álvaro Pérez de Castro, a prominent Castilian nobleman during the reign of Alfonso X of Castile. She played a significant role in the political affairs of her time and was known for her influence and advocacy for the rights of widows and orphans.
Another historical figure with the name Brianda was Brianda de Beaumont (c. 1292-1360), a French noblewoman and the wife of Walter V de Brienne, Duke of Athens. She was involved in the conflicts between the Duchy of Athens and the Principality of Achaea during the 14th century and played a crucial role in negotiating alliances and strategic marriages.
In the realm of literature, the name Brianda appears in the 13th-century Spanish epic poem "Cantar de Mio Cid," where a character named Brianda is mentioned as a member of the household of the legendary hero El Cid. This reference further highlights the name's historical roots in medieval Spain.
One of the most renowned individuals with the name Brianda was Brianda de Mendoza y Luna (c. 1475-1554), a Spanish noblewoman and the first wife of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, a prominent statesman and diplomat during the reign of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. She was highly regarded for her intelligence, cultural patronage, and involvement in political affairs.
Another noteworthy figure was Brianda de Velasco (c. 1590-1647), a Spanish nun and mystic who lived during the Golden Age of Spanish literature. She was known for her spiritual writings and her reputation for holiness, which led to her beatification by the Catholic Church in the 19th century.
People
Brianda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brianda 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
Brianda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brianda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,911 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brianda 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 179,359 US residents.
Is Brianda a common name?
We classify Brianda as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,962 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brianda most popular?
The single biggest year for Brianda was 1992, when 265 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brianda is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brianda a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Brianda 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.