Brienna
A feminine name of Celtic origin meaning "strong and virtuous".
Name Census estimates that about 1,648 living Americans carry the first name Brienna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brienna today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brienna births was 1992 (78 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brienna. 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 207,982 Americans
Peak year
1992
78 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,367
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Brienna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brienna 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 642 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
Brienna 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 Brienna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Briennas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. California, Michigan, Texas recorded the most babies named Brienna, while Washington, Utah, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brienna
The name Brienna is thought to have originated from the Celtic language spoken in ancient Britain and parts of modern-day France. It is believed to be a feminine variation of the male name Brian, derived from the Old Celtic word "brixs" meaning "hill" or "high".
The earliest recorded use of the name Brienna dates back to the 6th century AD, when it appeared in ancient Welsh manuscripts and genealogical records. During this period, the name was primarily used by families of Celtic descent in regions that are now parts of Wales and Brittany.
In the Middle Ages, the name Brienna gained some popularity among the noble classes in parts of England and France. It was occasionally mentioned in medieval literature and romantic tales, often associated with characters of strength and virtue.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Brienna was Brienna of Normandy, a 12th-century noblewoman and the daughter of Robert, Count of Mortain. She was married to Ralph de Gael, a powerful Norman baron, and played a role in the conflicts between King Stephen and Empress Matilda during the Anarchy period in England.
Another historical figure named Brienna was Brienna of Acoli, an Italian nun and abbess who lived in the 13th century. She was known for her piety and leadership of the Benedictine convent of St. Andrew in Viterbo, Italy.
In the 14th century, Brienna de Montfort was a influential French noblewoman and the wife of John III, Duke of Brittany. She played a significant role in the political affairs of the Duchy of Brittany during her husband's reign.
During the Renaissance period, the name Brienna was occasionally used by families of Celtic or Norman descent in England and France. One notable example was Brienna Fitzroy, an English courtier and the illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII, born in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, Brienna de Lannoy was a Flemish aristocrat and the wife of Charles II, Duke of Lorraine. She was known for her involvement in the political affairs of the Duchy of Lorraine during the Thirty Years' War.
While the name Brienna has its roots in ancient Celtic culture, it has been used across various regions and time periods, often associated with individuals of noble or influential backgrounds.
People
Brienna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brienna 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
Brienna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brienna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,648 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brienna 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 207,982 US residents.
Is Brienna a common name?
We classify Brienna as "Rare". It ranks above 92.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,694 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brienna most popular?
The single biggest year for Brienna was 1992, when 78 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brienna is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brienna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brienna 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.