Briann
A unisex name derived from the Irish surname Breen meaning "descendant of the strong one".
Name Census estimates that about 1,581 living Americans carry the first name Briann. It is a predominantly female name (98.8% of registrations). The average person named Briann today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Briann births was 1996 (90 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Briann. 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
1.6K
~ 1 in 216,796 Americans
Peak year
1996
90 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2012 SSA rank
#12,544
Tracked since 1978
Gender
Gender distribution for Briann
Briann leans heavily female at 98.8% of total registrations, but 20 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Briann as a male name
- Ranked #12,544 in 2012
- 5 male births in 2012
- Peak: 1994 (5 births)
Briann as a female name
- Ranked #15,650 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1996 (90 births)
Popularity
Briann: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Briann 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 725 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
Briann 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 Briann during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brianns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Briann, while Washington, Michigan, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 24 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Briann
The name Briann has its origins in the Gaelic language and can be traced back to Ireland and Scotland in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old Irish word "bri," which means "hill" or "elevated land." The name likely originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a prominent hill or raised area.
In ancient Irish manuscripts and genealogical records, various spellings of the name can be found, including Briain, Brian, and Bran. The name gained popularity in Ireland during the 10th and 11th centuries, particularly after the reign of Brian Boru, the famous High King of Ireland who ruled from 1002 to 1014 AD.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the name was Saint Brian, an Irish abbot who lived in the 6th century AD. He founded the monastery of Clonfert in County Galway, which became an important center of learning and religion during the early medieval period.
Another notable figure in history with the name Briann was Brian Boru, the legendary High King of Ireland. Born around 941 AD, he is celebrated for his victory over the Danish Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, which effectively ended the Viking conquest of Ireland. His reign marked a significant period in Irish history, and he is remembered as a powerful leader and warrior.
In the 12th century, there was a Scottish king named Brian, who ruled from 1107 to 1124 AD. He was the son of Malcolm III and is sometimes referred to as Brian FitzCount or Brian of Scotland.
During the 17th century, Brian O'Rourke was an Irish landowner and chieftain of the O'Rourke clan in County Leitrim. He played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars, fighting against the English forces during the 1640s.
Another notable figure was Briann Boroimhe, an Irish prince and military leader who lived in the 10th century AD. He was a member of the Dál gCais dynasty and played a crucial role in the Battle of Clontarf, supporting his relative, King Brian Boru.
While the name Briann has its roots in ancient Irish and Scottish history, it has since spread to other parts of the world and has been adopted by various cultures and communities.
People
Briann + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Briann 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
Briann: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Briann?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,581 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Briann 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 216,796 US residents.
Is Briann a common name?
We classify Briann as "Rare". It ranks above 92.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,629 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Briann most popular?
The single biggest year for Briann was 1996, when 90 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Briann is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Briann a female name?
Yes, 98.8% of people registered as Briann 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.