Baby Name Popularity Profile

Brian

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Brian.

✦ High, noble, strong 🌍 Irish, Celtic traditional royal
National Rank (2025) #339
All-Time Peak Rank #8 Achieved 1970
Total U.S. Births 1,173,735 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.8% Boy / 0.2% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1909 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1970s 36,306 births in 1972
πŸ’‘ The Brian Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning High, noble, strong
Language Origin Irish, Celtic
Origin Type single
Derived from the Old Irish name BrΓ­an, possibly from a Proto-Celtic root *brig- meaning 'high' or 'noble'.
Common Nicknames
Bri B
Alternative Spellings
Bryan Brien
Pronunciation: BRY-Ι™n
Themes & Categories
traditional royal
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Brian

According to SSA data, Brian achieved its highest historical rank of #8 in 1970. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1972 with 36,306 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 55.9%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 115 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Brian across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -55.9% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 36,306 births in 1972
Years in Top 100 63 yrs
Years in Top 500 93 yrs
Registry Streak 115 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 0
1890s: 0
1900s: 5
1910s: 116
1920s: 566
1930s: 3,173
1940s: 22,793
1950s: 112,336
1960s: 258,129
1970s: 322,660
1980s: 233,993
1990s: 119,309
2000s: 69,775
2010s: 24,107
2020s: 6,773

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Br-ian
Letter Count 5 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 7.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 7.7% of SSA names. Starts with B, a letter used by only 3.6% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Brian.

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Delaware
Top States Delaware, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Delaware #170 3,794 1972 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 5,837 1983 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #240 42,885 1972 13.8% Decline
Vermont Unranked 3,004 1962 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #329 18,974 1970 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 6,098 1973 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #254 45,717 1973 19.6% Decline
Alaska Unranked 2,293 1976 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #527 31,381 1967 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #378 57,552 1969 43.9% Decline
District of Columbia #171 6,812 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #287 22,683 1972 26.9% Decline
Ohio #289 67,755 1972 26.3% Decline
Minnesota #479 26,805 1962 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon #482 12,961 1977 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #280 69,634 1972 2.5% Decline
Iowa #505 18,712 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 6,170 1963 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #353 33,127 1972 16.0% Decline
Washington #339 22,534 1969 12.0% Decline
Wyoming Unranked 1,882 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #293 72,320 1972 39.1% Decline
New York #360 101,362 1972 35.5% Decline
Hawaii Unranked 4,023 1960 Insufficient historical volume
California #325 125,913 1977 32.3% Decline
Nebraska #382 9,184 1973 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 3,777 1974 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota #197 4,069 1963 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada #301 3,944 1984 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 3,981 1973 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #347 13,984 1973 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas Unranked 12,293 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho #444 4,600 1974 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #283 25,233 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #297 24,534 1973 22.2% Decline
Florida #231 35,106 1974 4.2% Decline
Arizona #493 12,544 1974 48.1% Decline
Utah #410 8,317 1974 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia #306 9,262 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #255 15,744 1972 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 4,830 1974 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana #354 15,570 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma #471 11,412 1973 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #407 22,269 1973 25.0% Decline
Tennessee #481 16,276 1972 44.8% Decline
Georgia #408 20,499 1973 30.0% Decline
South Carolina #329 10,164 1973 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 7,154 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #368 49,347 1973 21.3% Decline
Alabama #423 11,578 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi #475 6,304 1973 Insufficient historical volume

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

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