Find out how popular the last name Brian is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Brian.

Brian, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Brian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brian in America

Brian is the 7854th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brian surname appeared 4,214 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Brian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brian to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Brian

The surname BRIAN has its origins in the ancient Celtic language of Brittonic, spoken in what is now Great Britain and parts of France. It is derived from the Celtic word "brig," meaning a hill or elevated place, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on or near a hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 11th century in Normandy, France. It is believed that the name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Normans settled in various parts of the country.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Brian de Reedham, who was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book references Brian de Reedham as holding lands in Norfolk, England.

In the 12th century, the surname BRIAN appeared in various records across different regions of England. For example, the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1166 mentioned a Richard Brian, and the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1198 recorded a Walter Brian.

The surname BRIAN has been associated with several notable historical figures over the centuries. One of the most famous was Brian Boru (c. 941-1014), an Irish king who played a pivotal role in defeating the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir Francis Bryan (c. 1490-1550), a courtier and diplomat during the reign of King Henry VIII of England. He served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland and was involved in various diplomatic missions across Europe.

In Scotland, the BRIAN surname was sometimes anglicized as "Brienne" or "Brianne." One notable figure was Sir Walter de Brianne, who was granted lands in Forfar in the 13th century and whose descendants became influential in Scottish affairs.

The BRIAN surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Bryanston in Dorset, England, which was once owned by the Brian family in the 13th century.

Throughout history, the BRIAN surname has been subject to various spellings, including Brian, Bryen, Bryen, Brien, and Brion, reflecting the linguistic and regional variations in different parts of the British Isles and continental Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brian

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Brian.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brian was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Brian has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Brian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brian, please contact us.

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