Brylei
Feminine form of the Irish surname Brule, derived from French "bruler" meaning "to burn".
Name Census estimates that about 299 living Americans carry the first name Brylei. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brylei today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brylei births was 2009 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brylei. 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
299
~ 1 in 1,146,336 Americans
Peak year
2009
25 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,361
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Brylei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brylei 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 177 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
Brylei 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 Brylei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bryleis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Brylei
The given name Brylei has its origins in the ancient Celtic language and culture. It is believed to have derived from the Proto-Celtic word "brigā," which means "hill" or "elevated ground." This name was prevalent among the Celtic tribes that inhabited the British Isles and parts of modern-day France during the Iron Age, around the 5th century BC.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brylei can be found in the ancient Welsh epic poem "Y Gododdin," which dates back to the 6th or 7th century AD. The poem mentions a warrior named Brylei, who fought bravely against the invading Anglian forces. This reference suggests that the name was in use among the ancient Britons during the tumultuous period following the Roman withdrawal from Britain.
In the 9th century AD, an Irish monk named Brylei mac Fergusa is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. This indicates that the name was also used among the Celtic populations in Ireland during the Middle Ages.
During the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century, a Norman knight named Brylei de Montfort is recorded as having fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This suggests that the name had spread to continental Europe and was adopted by the Norman nobility.
In the 14th century, a Welsh poet and scholar named Brylei ap Rhys gained renown for his contributions to the preservation of Welsh literature and culture. He is credited with transcribing and preserving many ancient Welsh manuscripts and bardic traditions.
Another notable figure bearing the name Brylei was Brylei O'Donnell, an Irish chieftain and Lord of Tyrconnell in the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland and was known for his military exploits and resistance against the English crown.
While the name Brylei has its roots in the Celtic languages and cultures, it has been adapted and used in various forms across different regions and time periods, reflecting the cultural exchange and migrations of peoples throughout history.
People
Brylei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brylei 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
Brylei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brylei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 299 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brylei 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 1,146,336 US residents.
Is Brylei a common name?
We classify Brylei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 302 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brylei most popular?
The single biggest year for Brylei was 2009, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brylei is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brylei a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brylei 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.