Brian (sometimes spelled

Bryan Bryan may refer to: Places United States * Bryan, Arkansas * Bryan, Kentucky * Bryan, Ohio * Bryan, Texas * Bryan, Wyoming, a ghost town in Sweetwater County in the U.S. state of Wyoming * Bryan Township (disambiguation) Facilities and structur ...

in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the

English-speaking world Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest languag ...

. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word meaning "high" or "noble". For example, the element ''bre'' means "hill"; which could be transferred to mean "eminence" or "exalted one". The name is quite popular in Ireland, on account of

Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. ...

, a 10th-century High King of Ireland. The name was also quite popular in

East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...

during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. This is because the name was introduced to England by

Bretons The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, m ...

following the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...

. Bretons also settled in Ireland along with the

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. T ...

in the 12th century, and 'their' name was mingled with the 'Irish' version. Also, in the north-west of England, the 'Irish' name was introduced by Scandinavian settlers from Ireland. Within the Gaelic speaking areas of Scotland, the name was at first only used by professional families of Irish origin. It was the fourth most popular male name in England and Wales in 1934, but a sharp decline followed over the remainder of the 20th century and by 1994 it had fallen out of the top 100. It retained its popularity in the United States for longer; its most popular period there was from 1968 to 1979 when it consistently ranked between eighth and tenth. The name has become increasingly popular in South America, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, since the early 1990s. The surname ''Brian'' is sometimes an English and Irish variant spelling of the surname ''

''. The English and French surname ''Brian'' is sometimes derived from the personal Celtic personal name shown above. The surname ''Brian'' can also sometimes be a French surname; derived from the

Old Occitan Old Occitan ( oc, occitan ancian, label= Modern Occitan, ca, occità antic), also called Old Provençal, was the earliest form of the Occitano-Romance languages, as attested in writings dating from the eighth through the fourteenth centuries. Ol ...

word ''brian'', meaning "

maggot A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera); it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachycera flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and crane flies. E ...

" and used as a

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

. Variants of the name include Briant, Brien,

Bran Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the hard outer layers of cereal grain. It consists of the combined aleurone and pericarp. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains ...

, Brion,

Bryant Bryant may refer to: Organizations * Bryant Bank, a bank in Alabama, United States * Bryant Electric Company, an American manufacturer of electrical components * Bryant Homes, a British house builder, part of Taylor Woodrow * Bryant University ...

, Brjánn (in Icelandic) and

Bryon Bryon is an English-derived given name. Notable people with the given name include: *Bryon Allen (born 1992), American basketball player for Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli Basketball Premier League *Bizzy Bone (born 1976 as Bryon McCane), American r ...

. Variant spellings such as "Brien" are sometimes used as female given names, especially among members of the

Irish diaspora The Irish diaspora ( ga, Diaspóra na nGael) refers to ethnic Irish people and their descendants who live outside the island of Ireland. The phenomenon of migration from Ireland is recorded since the Early Middle Ages,Flechner and Meeder, The ...

. In Latin America, the phonetic spelling “Brayan” is often used, associated with working-class parents aspiring to a higher socioeconomic status associated with Anglo-American culture, and mocked for that reason on social media. https://www.laprensa.hn/mundo/el-origen-de-los-memes-de-el-brayan-y-la-britany-en-DELP981938#image-1

Notable people with the name

Mononyms

Brian (dog) Bing (1942–44 – October 1955) was a dog who received the Dickin Medal in 1947 from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals for bravery in service during the Second World War. An Alsatian and Collie cross, Bing (originally named "Brian") ...

, original name of Bing, a dog who served in the British Army in World War II *

Brian (mythology) In Gaelic mythology, Brian (or Uar) was one of the three Sons of Tuireann along with Iuchar and Iucharba. Name In many extant institutionally-held manuscripts of the ''Oidheadh Chlainne Tuireann'', Brian is actually called Uar (or Uair), but th ...

, Celtic mythological figure * Brian, a snail character in the children's television programme '' The Magic Roundabout''

Surname

* Denis Brian (born 1923), British author * Donald Brian (1877–1948), Canadian-American actor, dancer, and singer *

Havergal Brian Havergal Brian (born William Brian; 29 January 187628 November 1972) was an English composer. He is best known for having composed 32 symphonies (an unusually high total for a 20th-century composer), most of them late in his life. His best-know ...

(1876–1972), British classical composer * Mary Brian (1906–2002), American actress and movie star *

Morgan Brian Morgan Paige Gautrat (; born February 26, 1993) is an American soccer player who most recently played for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the highest division of women's professional soccer in the United Sta ...

(born 1993), American women's soccer player

Given name: common combinations

* Brian Allen * Brian Andersen * Brian Anderson *

Brian Becker Brian Becker is an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, where he represented the 19th Assembly District, which consists of portions of West Hartford, Avon, and Farmington. A graduate of ...

* Brian Bell * Brian Bennett * Brian Blake * Brian Bowman *

Brian Briggs Brian Briggs (29 March 1932 – 2 August 1996) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Stanley Ran ...

* Brian Brown * Brian Burns * Brian Byrne *

Brian Campbell Brian Wesley Campbell (born May 23, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played for the Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the Stanl ...

* Brian Carroll * Brian Clark * Brian Clarke * Brian Cole * Brian Coleman * Brian Collins * Brian Cook * Brian Cox * Brian Cummings * Brian Cunningham * Brian Davis *

Brian Dixon Brian Dixon may refer to: * Brian Dixon (Australian footballer) (born 1936), Australian rules footballer and politician * Brian A. Dixon (born 1980), American author * Brian Dixon (American football) (born 1990), American football player * Brian Dix ...

* Brian Doyle * Brian Edwards * Brian Fallon * Brian Fitzpatrick * Brian Fletcher * Brian Flynn * Brian Francis * Brian Freeman * Brian Gibson * Brian Grant * Brian Green * Brian Hall *

Brian Harvey Brian Lee Harvey (born 8 August 1974) is a British singer from London. He was the lead singer of pop group East 17. The later incarnation of the band, E-17, had two top 20 singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1998 and 1999, with the album ' ...

* Brian Henderson * Brian Higgins * Brian Hill *

Brian Hogan Brian Hogan may refer to: * Brian Hogan (Kilkenny hurler) (born 1981), Irish hurler *Brian Hogan (rugby league) (1947–2022), English rugby league footballer *Brian Hogan (Tipperary hurler) (born 1996), Irish hurler *Brian Hogan, Irish musician, me ...

* Brian James * Brian Johnson * Brian Johnston *

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer best known as the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to prov ...

Brian Keith Brian Keith (born Robert Alba Keith, November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family film '' The Parent ...

* Brian Kelly * Brian Kennedy * Brian Kim * Brian Lee * Brian Lewis * Brian MacMahon * Brian Magee * Brian Marshall * Brian Martin * Brian Mason * Brian McBride * Brian McFadden *

Brian McLean Brian Stuart McLean (born 28 February 1985) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Clyde. He began his career in Scotland as a youth and reserve player with Rangers before joining Motherwell in 2005, initially on loan. He t ...

* Brian Miller * Brian Moore * Brian Moran * Brian Mullins * Brian Murphy * Brian O'Halloran * Brian O'Neill *

Brian O'Sullivan Brian O'Sullivan (born 1990 in Ballygunner) is an Irish hurler who plays for both the Waterford Inter-county hurling team and the Ballygunner GAA club. Playing career Club O'Sullivan has played with Ballygunner since an early age. Inte ...

Brian Plummer Brian Plummer, also known as David Brian Plummer (11 September 1936 – 12 September 2003), was a British writer, teacher and dog breeder. Background In 1977, Plummer appeared on Richard Whiteley's '' Calendar'' regional news programme, during w ...

* Brian Reynolds * Brian Roberts * Brian Robertson * Brian Savage *

Brian Schmidt Brian Paul Schmidt (born 24 February 1967) is the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU). He was previously a Distinguished Professor, Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and astrophysicist at the University's ...

* Brian Scott * Brian Shaw * Brian Simmons * Brian Smith * Brian Smyth * Brian Stack * Brian Stafford * Brian Stewart * Brian Sullivan * Brian Thompson * Brian Thomson *

Brian Tucker Brian E. Tucker is a seismologist specializing in disaster prevention. He is also the founder of GeoHazards International (GHI), a non-profit dedicated to ending preventable death and suffering caused by natural disasters in the world’s most vu ...

* Brian Turner * Brian Tyler * Brian Walsh * Brian White * Brian Williams *

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

* Brian Wong * Brian Wood * Brian Wright *

Given name: individuals

* Brian Ah Yat (born 1975), American football player * Brian Alderson (1950–1997), Scottish footballer * Brian Aldiss (1925–2017), British author *

Brian Asamoah Brian Asamoah II (born March 29, 2000) is an American football inside linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma. High school career Asamoah was born to a Ghanaian family an ...

(born 2000), American football player * Brian Austin Green (born 1973), American actor and rapper * Brian Bannister (born 1981), American baseball player and coach * Brian Bass (born 1982), American former professional baseball player * Brian Blessed (born 1937), English actor *

Brian Boitano Brian Anthony Boitano (born October 22, 1963) is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985–1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional fo ...

(born 1963), American figure skater * Brian Bollinger (born 1968), American football player *

Brian Bonsall Brian Eric Bonsall (born December 3, 1981) is an American rock musician, singer, guitarist and former child actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Andrew "Andy" Keaton, the youngest child on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' from 1986 unt ...

(born 1981), American rock musician, singer, guitarist and former child actor *

(941–1014), Irish king who overthrew the centuries-long domination of the Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill * Brian Broomell (born 1958), American football player * Brian Clough (1935–2004), British football manager * Brian Cornell, American businessman *

Brian Cowen Brian Bernard Cowen (born 10 January 1960) is an Irish former politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 2008 to 2011. Cowen was elected to Dáil Éireann in 1984, for the constituency of Laois–Offaly and served in a ...

(born 1960), former

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legislature) and the offi ...

(Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland * Brian de la Puente (born 1985), NFL football player *

Brian Dabul Brian Dabul (; born 24 February 1984) is an Argentine retired tennis player. He was ranked the No. 1 junior in the world in January 2002. His highest ranking in men's singles was No. 82 (9 March 2009), and his highest ranking in doubles was No. ...

(born 1984), Argentinian tennis player *

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leadin ...

(born 1940), American film director * Brian Deneke (1978–1997), American teenage punk musician * Brian Dennehy (1938-2020), American actor * Brian Dowling (born 1978), Irish television presenter *

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

(born 1948), English electronic musician, music theorist and record producer *

Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein (; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was a British music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967. Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put him i ...

(1934–1967), English businessperson, manager of The Beatles * Brian Folkerts (born 1990), American football player * Brian Gaine, American football executive *

Brian Ginsberg Brian Ginsberg (born 1966) is an American former gymnast. He is a two-time US junior national gymnastics champion. He also won gold medals at both the 1983 Pan American Games and the 1987 Pan American Games while competing on Team USA. Early lif ...

(born 1966), American former gymnast * Brian Gottfried (born 1952), American tennis player * Brian Gowins (born 1976), American football player * Brian Grazer (born 1951), American Oscar-winning film and television producer *

Brian Gutekunst Brian Willis Gutekunst (born July 19, 1973) is an American football executive who is the general manager for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He joined the team in 1998 and served as a scout and assistant executive be ...

(born 1973), American football executive * Brian Haley (born 1961), American actor and comedian * Brian Heidik (born 1968), American actor, used car salesman, and television personality *

Brian Horwitz Brian Jeffery Horwitz, nicknamed "The Rabbi", (born November 7, 1982) is an American former baseball outfielder who played for the San Francisco Giants in 2008, and won two minor league batting titles. Baseball career High school A native of ...

(nicknamed "The Rabbi"; born 1982), American major league baseball outfielder *

Brian Hutton, Baron Hutton James Brian Edward Hutton, Baron Hutton, PC QC (29 June 1932 – 14 July 2020) was a British Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. Background Hutton was born in Belfast in 1932, the son of a railways ex ...

(1932–2020), British law lord and barrister * Brian Joo (born 1981), American-born Korean singer, former member of the R&B duo Fly to the Sky * Brian Jossie (born 1977), American professional wrestler performing under the ring name of ''Abraham Washington'' * Brian Joubert (born 1984), French figure skater and 2007 World Champion *

Brian Lara Brian Charles Lara, (born 2 May 1969) is a Trinidadian former international cricketer, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He topped the Test batting rankings on several occasions and holds several cricketing ...

(born 1969), former West Indian cricketer * Brian Laudrup (born 1969), former Danish international soccer player * Brian Laundrie (), American fugitive * Brian Lewerke (born 1996), American football player * Brian Limond (born 1974), Scottish comedian * Brian Littrell (born 1975), member of the boy band, The Backstreet Boys *

Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury an ...

(born 1947), guitarist, songwriter, founding member of the band Queen * Brian McConaghy (born 1950), Canadian forensic scientist *

Brian McKnight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for ...

(born 1969) American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B musician * Brian David Mitchell (born 1953), American criminal convicted of the Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart *

Brian Molko Brian Molko (born 10 December 1972) is a Belgian-born Scottish-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist of the band Placebo. He is known in particular for his distinctive nasal, high-pitche ...

(born 1972), lead vocalist of the band Placebo * Brian Moorman (born 1976), American football player for the Buffalo Bills *

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political ...

(born 1939), former Canadian prime minister (1984–1993) * Brian O'Driscoll (born 1979), Irish rugby player *

Brian O'Keefe Brian O'Keefe (born 10 December 1956) is a former Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams ...

(born 1956), Australian rules footballer * Brian O'Keefe (baseball), American baseball player *

Brian O'Keeffe Brian O'Keeffe (born 1977) is an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-forward for the Cork senior team. Born in Blackrock, Cork, O'Keeffe first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up with the ...

, Irish hurler * Brian Orser (born 1961), Canadian figure skater *

Brian Paddick Brian Leonard Paddick, Baron Paddick (born 24 April 1958), is a British politician and retired police officer, currently sitting in the House of Lords as a life peer. He was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the London mayoral elections o ...

(born 1958), British politician * Brian Peaker (born 1959), Canadian rower * Brian Peets (born 1956), American football player * Brian Piccolo (1943–1970), American football player for the Chicago Bears and subject of TV movie '' Brian's Song'' * Brian Randle, American basketball player * Brian Ransom (gridiron football) (born 1960), American player of gridiron football * Brian Retterer (born 1972), American swimmer * Brian Ross (journalist) (born 1948), American investigative correspondent for ABC News *

Brian Savoy Brian Savoy (born January 13, 1992) is an Argentine-born Swiss professional basketball player. He currently plays for Union Neuchâtel Basket of Switzerland's Championnat LNA. He represented Switzerland‘s national basketball team at the E ...

(born 1992), Swiss basketball player * Brian Schneider (born 1976), American baseball player * Brian Serven (born 1995), American baseball player * Brian Sims (born 1978), American politician, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives *

Brian Snitker Brian Gerald Snitker (born October 17, 1955) is an American professional baseball coach and former player who is the manager of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Snitker has been in the Braves organization in different roles si ...

(born 1955), American baseball coach *

Brian Stelter Brian Patrick Stelter (born September 3, 1985) is an American journalist best known as the former chief media correspondent for CNN and host of the CNN program '' Reliable Sources'', roles he held from 2013 to 2022. Stelter is also a former medi ...

(born 1985), American journalist and television news correspondent * Brian Stephney (born 1983), Montserratian cricketer * Brian Sweeney (born 1974), American baseball player and coach * Brian Sweeney (sailor), Canadian sailor * Brian Teacher (born 1952), American tennis player *

Brian Tucker (screenwriter) Brian Tucker is an American screenwriter and producer best known for his work on ''Broken City'' and ''Spawn''. Career Tucker gained notability from writing an unsolicited screenplay for ''Broken City'' (2013), which was bought by Mandate ...

, American film screenwriter * Brian Tyler (born 1972), American composer and musician * Brian Urlacher (born 1978), American football player for the Chicago Bears * Brian Viloria (born 1980), American boxer *Brian Warner (born 1969), American singer, better known by his stage name

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

* Brian Wecht (born 1975), composer/producer of musical comedy duo, Ninja Sex Party * Brian Westbrook (born 1979), American football player for the Philadelphia Eagles * Brian Williams (born 1959), anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News on the NBC Television Network

Fictional characters

* Brian Griffin on ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ...

'', voiced by

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and '' The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creato ...

* Brian Kinney on ''Queer as Folk'' (US), played by Gale Harold * Brian O'Conner in ''The Fast and the Furious'' series, played by Paul Walker * Brian Cohen, main protagonist of ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'', played by

Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the Surreal humour, surreal comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel (Monty Pyth ...

* Brian Green, from the British TV show ''Torchwood'' * Brian Johnson, main character in the 1985 film '' The Breakfast Club'' * Brian Doheny (commonly referred to as BrianD), main protagonist of ''

Video Game High School ''Video Game High School'' (often abbreviated ''VGHS'') is an American action comedy web series from RocketJump Studios. It was written by Matthew Arnold, Will Campos and Brian Firenzi and directed by Matthew Arnold, Brandon Laatsch, and Freddie ...

Media titles

Films and television shows which contain the name Brian include: * '' Brian's Song'' (1971, 2001) * '' Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (1979) * '' What About Brian'', American TV series that began in 2006 * '' Burying Brian'', mini New Zealand TV series

References

{{given name, type=both English-language masculine given names Irish-language masculine given names English masculine given names Surnames of Irish origin French-language surnames