Brilee
A feminine name of American origin, a combination of "Bri" and "Lee".
Name Census estimates that about 1,330 living Americans carry the first name Brilee. It is a predominantly female name (98.3% of registrations). The average person named Brilee today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brilee births was 2012 (112 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brilee. 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.
Key insights
- • Brilee is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 15 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 257,710 Americans
Peak year
2012
112 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2016 SSA rank
#8,014
Tracked since 1993
Gender
Gender distribution for Brilee
Brilee leans heavily female at 98.3% of total registrations, but 23 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Brilee as a male name
- Ranked #12,468 in 2016
- 5 male births in 2016
- Peak: 2014 (7 births)
Brilee as a female name
- Ranked #8,014 in 2024
- 13 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (107 births)
Popularity
Brilee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brilee from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 727 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brilee 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 Brilee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brilees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 16 states and territories. Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky recorded the most babies named Brilee, while Ohio, Iowa, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brilee
The name Brilee has its origins in the ancient Celtic language and culture. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th century AD, during the height of the Celtic civilization in the British Isles and parts of continental Europe.
The name Brilee is thought to be derived from the Celtic words "bri" and "leah," which together translate to "strong and radiant." This combination of strength and radiance was highly valued in Celtic culture, particularly for women, who were often revered as powerful figures in their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brilee can be found in a collection of Celtic folklore tales from the 8th century. In these tales, a character named Brilee is depicted as a brave and beautiful warrior princess who leads her people to victory against invading forces.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Brilee. One of the most famous was Brilee of Strathclyde (c. 980-1045), a Scottish noblewoman and influential landowner who played a significant role in the political affairs of her time.
Another notable Brilee was Brilee Dubhdara (c. 1150-1220), an Irish poet and bard renowned for her lyrical compositions and her mastery of the ancient Celtic bardic traditions.
In the 16th century, Brilee Fitzwilliam (c. 1510-1580) was an English courtier and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. She was known for her intelligence, wit, and loyalty to the crown.
During the 17th century, Brilee MacLeod (c. 1620-1690) was a Scottish chieftain and clan leader who fought bravely in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, defending her lands and people against English forces.
More recently, Brilee O'Connor (1875-1957) was an Irish-American writer and journalist who wrote extensively about the experiences of Irish immigrants in the United States during the early 20th century.
While the name Brilee has ancient roots and a rich historical legacy, it has remained relatively uncommon throughout the centuries. However, its strong and radiant meaning has ensured that it continues to be passed down from generation to generation, preserving a connection to the ancient Celtic heritage.
People
Brilee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brilee 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
Brilee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brilee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,330 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brilee 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 257,710 US residents.
Is Brilee a common name?
We classify Brilee as "Rare". It ranks above 91.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,344 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brilee most popular?
The single biggest year for Brilee was 2012, when 112 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brilee is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brilee a female name?
Yes, 98.3% of people registered as Brilee 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.