Briyah
A feminine name derived from the Hebrew word "bri'ah" meaning "creation" or "universe".
Name Census estimates that about 259 living Americans carry the first name Briyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Briyah today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Briyah births was 2013 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Briyah. 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
259
~ 1 in 1,323,376 Americans
Peak year
2013
26 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,018
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Briyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Briyah 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 151 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
Briyah 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 Briyah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Briyahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Briyah
The name Briyah is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "briah," which means "creation" or "universe." The name is associated with the concept of creation and the divine act of bringing the world into existence.
In Jewish mystical tradition, the term "Briah" refers to the second of the four spiritual realms or worlds described in Kabbalah. It is considered the world of creation, where the physical universe and all living beings were formed according to divine principles and laws.
The name Briyah can be found in various Jewish texts and scriptures, particularly those related to Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. It is mentioned in the Zohar, which is the central text of Kabbalah, as well as in other kabbalistic writings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Briyah can be traced back to the 16th century. A prominent Jewish scholar and kabbalist named Moses Cordovero (1522-1570) wrote extensively about the concept of Briah and its significance in the creation process.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Briyah. One of the earliest was Briyah ben Malka (5th century CE), a Jewish scholar and Talmudic sage who lived in Babylon during the Babylonian Jewish diaspora.
Another significant figure was Briyah ben Hayyim (17th century), a renowned Italian Jewish philosopher and kabbalist who made significant contributions to the study of Jewish mysticism and the interpretation of the Zohar.
In the 18th century, Briyah bat Shlomo (1720-1805) was a respected Jewish scholar and teacher from Poland. She was known for her expertise in Talmudic studies and her lectures on Jewish law and philosophy.
In more recent times, Briyah Singerman (1919-2000) was a prominent American Jewish educator and author. She wrote several books on Jewish education and was actively involved in promoting Jewish cultural awareness and education.
Briyah Langer (1929-2017) was an Israeli artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her abstract works inspired by the natural world and Jewish mysticism. Her sculptures and installations can be found in various public spaces and galleries in Israel and abroad.
While the name Briyah has its roots in the Hebrew language and Jewish tradition, it has also gained popularity in other cultures and communities around the world, particularly among those interested in spirituality, mysticism, and the concept of creation.
People
Briyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Briyah 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
Briyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Briyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 259 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Briyah 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 1,323,376 US residents.
Is Briyah a common name?
We classify Briyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 261 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Briyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Briyah was 2013, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Briyah is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Briyah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Briyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Briyah 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.
Is Briyah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Briyah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Briyah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Briyah?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Briyah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.