Briseis
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "extremely valuable".
Name Census estimates that about 1,340 living Americans carry the first name Briseis. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Briseis today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Briseis births was 2006 (100 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Briseis. 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
- • Briseis is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 13 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 255,787 Americans
Peak year
2006
100 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,564
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Briseis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Briseis from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 709 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
Briseis 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 Briseis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Briseis' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Texas, Arizona recorded the most babies named Briseis, while Illinois, Colorado, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 96 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Briseis
The name Briseis has its origins in ancient Greek mythology and literature. It is derived from the Greek word "briseus," which means "to be weighed down" or "to be oppressed." The name first appears in Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, where Briseis is a captive woman awarded to the Greek hero Achilles as a prize of war.
In the Iliad, Briseis is described as a beautiful woman from the city of Lyrnessus, which was sacked by the Achaeans during the Trojan War. After her family was killed and her city was destroyed, Briseis was taken as a concubine by Achilles. However, Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces, later took Briseis for himself, leading to a quarrel with Achilles that had significant consequences for the war's outcome.
The name Briseis became associated with the themes of captivity, loss, and resilience in the face of adversity, as portrayed in the Iliad. Although Briseis herself was a fictional character, her name gained recognition and became a part of the cultural heritage of ancient Greece.
Throughout history, the name Briseis has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded examples is Briseis of Cyzicus (fl. 4th century BC), a Greek philosopher and follower of Plato who wrote treatises on various philosophical subjects.
Another prominent figure was Briseis of Macedon (c. 310-270 BC), a Macedonian princess and daughter of King Antipater. She was married to Demetrius I Poliorcetes, a powerful Macedonian ruler and one of the successors of Alexander the Great.
In the 18th century, Briseis Hopton (1706-1765) was an English writer and translator who published works on religion and philosophy. Her most notable work was a translation of the French philosopher René Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy.
More recently, Briseis Mendoza (1930-2005) was a Mexican painter and sculptor known for her vibrant and colorful works that celebrated the indigenous cultures of Mexico. Her art was featured in numerous exhibitions throughout her career.
Lastly, Briseis Mavrakis (born 1964) is a Greek-American composer and music producer who has worked with several renowned artists, including Sting and Shakira. She has received multiple Grammy nominations for her contributions to various albums and soundtracks.
People
Briseis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Briseis 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
Briseis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Briseis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,340 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Briseis 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 255,787 US residents.
Is Briseis a common name?
We classify Briseis 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, 1,352 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Briseis most popular?
The single biggest year for Briseis was 2006, when 100 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Briseis is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Briseis a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Briseis 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.