Brian
Boy name · #339 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Brian? In official American birth records, Brian has been tracked continuously since 1909, giving it 116 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Brian is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". 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. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Brian is most common in KY (1 per 1,000), FL (1 per 1,000), NJ (0.9 per 1,000), MA (0.9 per 1,000), NV (0.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.7 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Brian is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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
How old is the name Brian?
In official American birth records, the name Brian first appeared in 1909 (over 116 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 116 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.