Brian
Boy name · #339 in 2025 · Uniqueness 58/100
Brian is currently the #339 boy name in the United States — 979 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #188, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,839 boys born in 2025 was named Brian.
Babies named Brian per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 116-year story
Brian first appears in the Social Security records in 1909, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1972, when 36,306 boys were named Brian — good for #8 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Brian against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Brian in class?
Brian scores 58 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Brian is most common
Geography matters for names, and Brian is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Brians were CA (111), TX (100), FL (91), NY (49), OH (42). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Brian
Statistically, parents drawn to Brian tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Bryan, Shawn, Kevin, Eric, and Damon.
BryanShawnKevinEricDamonByronMartinBradley
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Brian | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 979 | #339 |
| 2024 | 1,116 | #302 |
| 2023 | 1,049 | #317 |
| 2022 | 1,180 | #289 |
| 2021 | 1,188 | #288 |
| 2020 | 1,261 | #271 |
| 2019 | 1,479 | #247 |
| 2018 | 1,631 | #235 |
| 2017 | 1,778 | #216 |
| 2016 | 1,984 | #204 |
| 2015 | 2,218 | #188 |
| 2014 | 2,536 | #168 |
| 2013 | 2,645 | #150 |
| 2012 | 2,820 | #141 |
| 2011 | 3,250 | #122 |
| 2010 | 3,766 | #101 |
| 2009 | 4,658 | #94 |
| 2008 | 5,263 | #87 |
| 2007 | 6,075 | #81 |
| 2006 | 6,511 | #72 |
| 2005 | 6,920 | #63 |
| 2004 | 7,333 | #59 |
| 2003 | 7,672 | #59 |
| 2002 | 8,082 | #51 |
| 2001 | 8,303 | #46 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Brian a popular boy name?
Brian ranked #339 among boys in 2025 with 979 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #188.
When was the name Brian most popular?
Brian peaked in 1972, when 36,306 American boys received the name (ranked #8 that year). Since 1972 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Brian?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,839 newborn American boys was named Brian. It scores 58/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.