Brina
A feminine name with Latin roots symbolizing sea salt or brine.
Name Census estimates that about 1,312 living Americans carry the first name Brina. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brina today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brina births was 1996 (60 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brina. 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
1.3K
~ 1 in 261,246 Americans
Peak year
1996
60 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
1986 SSA rank
#6,857
Tracked since 1947
Gender
Gender distribution for Brina
Out of the 1,366 babies given the name Brina since 1880, 99.6% 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.
Brina as a male name
- Ranked #6,857 in 1986
- 5 male births in 1986
- Peak: 1986 (5 births)
Brina as a female name
- Ranked #13,726 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1996 (60 births)
Popularity
Brina: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brina from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 452 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
Brina 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 Brina during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brinas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Brina, while Georgia, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brina
The name Brina is believed to have originated from the Slavic languages, particularly in the regions of Croatia and Slovenia. It is a feminine name derived from the Slavic word "brina," which means "bramble" or "blackberry." This name has been in use since the Middle Ages and is associated with the natural beauty and resilience of the bramble plant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brina can be found in the 14th century Croatian epic poem "Osman" by Ivan Gundulić. In this literary work, the character Brina is portrayed as a strong and courageous woman, reflecting the spirit of the name's meaning.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Brina. One such person was Brina Svitlica (1574-1647), a Croatian noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the defense of her territory during the Croatian-Ottoman Wars. Her bravery and leadership qualities became legendary.
Another notable Brina was Brina Kantoci (1807-1873), an Albanian writer and educator who was a pioneering figure in the promotion of women's education in the Ottoman Empire. Her works and advocacy paved the way for greater educational opportunities for women in the region.
In the realm of literature, Brina Venezky (1917-2004) was an American author and illustrator known for her children's books, including "Blackberry Cooties" and "The Bamboo Brush." Her works often celebrated nature and cultural diversity.
Brina Majoli (1951-2017) was an Italian tennis player who achieved notable success in the 1970s and 1980s. She won multiple Grand Slam titles and reached the top 5 in the world rankings, becoming a prominent figure in women's professional tennis.
Lastly, Brina Knauss (1993-present) is a contemporary American actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films. Her career continues to flourish, carrying the name Brina into the modern era.
People
Brina + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brina 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
Brina: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brina?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,312 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brina 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 261,246 US residents.
Is Brina a common name?
We classify Brina as "Rare". It ranks above 91.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,366 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brina most popular?
The single biggest year for Brina was 1996, when 60 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brina is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brina a female name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Brina 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.