Brisia
A feminine name of Portuguese origin meaning "sea breeze".
Name Census estimates that about 317 living Americans carry the first name Brisia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brisia today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brisia births was 2008 (77 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brisia. 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
317
~ 1 in 1,081,244 Americans
Peak year
2008
77 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2023 SSA rank
#15,591
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Brisia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brisia from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 222 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brisia 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 Brisia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brisias live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, Arizona recorded the most babies named Brisia, while Illinois, Arizona, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brisia
The name Brisia is thought to have originated in ancient Greece, believed to be derived from the Greek word "briseis," which means "rich" or "abundant." It is likely that the name was initially used to refer to someone who possessed great wealth or lived a life of plenty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brisia can be found in Homer's epic poem, the Iliad, where a character named Briseis is mentioned. She was a beautiful woman captured by the Greeks during the Trojan War and given to the hero Achilles as a prize.
During the Byzantine era, around the 5th century AD, the name Brisia gained popularity among Greek Christians, possibly due to its association with wealth and abundance, which were seen as blessings from God.
In the 9th century, a prominent Byzantine noblewoman named Brisia of Patras was known for her philanthropic efforts and support of the arts and education. Her influence helped to further popularize the name within the Byzantine Empire.
In the 12th century, a Brisia of Constantinople was recorded as a renowned scholar and writer, contributing to the intellectual and literary culture of the time.
In the 15th century, an Italian painter named Brisia Ghirlandaio gained recognition for her religious artwork, particularly her frescoes adorning churches in Florence.
Another notable figure was Brisia Capponi, a 16th-century Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her support of Renaissance artists and writers in Florence.
Over the centuries, the name Brisia has been used sporadically across various cultures, although it has remained relatively uncommon. Its rich history and connection to ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire have contributed to its enduring appeal as a unique and meaningful name choice.
People
Brisia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brisia 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
Brisia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brisia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 317 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brisia 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 1,081,244 US residents.
Is Brisia a common name?
We classify Brisia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 321 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brisia most popular?
The single biggest year for Brisia was 2008, when 77 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brisia is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brisia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brisia 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.