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 A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

of Irish and

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

origin, as well as a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language Occitan (; o ...

origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an

Old Celtic Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly reconstructed through the comparative method. Proto-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, a 10th-century

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...

. 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. This is because the name was introduced to England by Bretons following the Norman Conquest. Bretons also settled in Ireland along with the Normans 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=Occitan language, 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 fourteen ...

word ''brian'', meaning " maggot" and used as a nickname. Variants of the name include Briant,

Brien Brien is a surname and male given name. Notable people with this name include: Surname * Alan Brien (1925–2008), English journalist * Alizée Brien (born 1993), Canadian racing cyclist * Chris Brien, drummer, percussionist and drum clinician * Do ...

, Bran, 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 ...

.Gray, Breda. "Women and the Irish Diaspora". London : Routledge, 2004. p.87

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 Denis Brian (11 December 1923 – 30 May 2017) was a Welsh journalist and writer, notable for writing the 1996 biography ''Einstein: A Life''. Brian was born in Cardiff on 11 December 1923. He graduated from Ravensbourne School, Bromley in 1939 ...

(born 1923), British author *

Donald Brian Donald Brian (February 17, 1877 – December 22, 1948) was an actor, dancer and singer born in St. John's, Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada). In 1907, he starred in the hit operetta ''The Merry Widow''. Life and care ...

(1877–1948), Canadian-American actor, dancer, and singer * Havergal Brian (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 St ...

(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 Laurence Bennett, (born 9 February 1940) is an English drummer, pianist, composer and producer of popular music. He is best known as the drummer of the UK rock and roll group the Shadows. He is the father of musician and Shadows band me ...

Brian Blake Brian Ernest Blake (born August 26, 1960) is an American logger, forester, and politician who served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 19th district from 2002 to 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Part ...

Brian Bowman Brian Leslie Bowman (born July 22, 1946) is an American virtuoso euphonium artist and music professor who, among other things, held the principal euphonium chair and was a featured soloist with the premier concert bands of the United States Navy ...

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 Byrne (born January 13, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. He was the second vocalist for the band I Mother Earth. Biography Brian joined his first band in Corner Brook in 1988, a hair-metal band called Pandemonium. The band als ...

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 Clarke (born 2 July 1953) is a British painter, architectural artist and printmaker, known for his large-scale stained glass and mosaic projects, symbolist paintings, set designs, and collaborations with major figures in Modern and conte ...

* 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 Fallon (born January 28, 1980) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main lyricist of the rock band the Gaslight Anthem, with whom he has recorded five studio albums. H ...

* Brian Fitzpatrick * Brian Fletcher *

Brian Flynn Brian Flynn may refer to: * Brian Flynn (footballer) (born 1955), Welsh football manager * Brian Flynn (baseball) (born 1990), American baseball player * Brian Flynn (cricketer) (1929-1986), Australian cricketer * Brian Flynn (ice hockey) Brian ...

* 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 James *

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...

Brian Johnston Brian Alexander Johnston (24 June 1912 – 5 January 1994), nicknamed Johnners, was a British cricket commentator, author, and television presenter. He was most prominently associated with the BBC during a career which lasted from 1946 until h ...

* Brian Jones * Brian Keith * Brian Kelly * Brian Kennedy * Brian Kim * Brian Lee * Brian Lewis *

Brian MacMahon Brian MacMahon (23 August 1923 – 5 December 2007) was a British-born American epidemiologist who chaired the Department of Epidemiology of the Harvard School of Public Health from 1958 until 1988. Best known for his work on the epidemiology o ...

* Brian Magee * Brian Marshall * Brian Martin *

Brian Mason Brian David Mason (born October 12, 1953) is a Canadian politician who was leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party from 2004 to 2014 and served the Minister of Transportation in Rachel Notley's NDP government. He also served as the Governme ...

* 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 Mullins (27 September 1954 – 30 September 2022) was an Irish Gaelic football Manager (Gaelic games), manager and player. He played football with his local club St Vincents GAA, St Vincent's and was a senior member of the Dublin county ...

* 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. Inter-co ...

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 Arthur Savage (born February 24, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Fly ...

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 Mo ...

* Brian Scott * Brian Shaw *

Brian Simmons Brian Eugene Simmons (born June 21, 1975) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of North Caroli ...

* Brian Smith *

Brian Smyth Brian Smyth (born 1967) is an Irish figurative painter. Born in Cork, Smyth studied art at the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork, where he specialised in painting and graduated with an honours degree in art and design in 1995. Subsid ...

Brian Stack Brian Stack may refer to: * Brian Stack (comedian) (born 1967), American actor, comedian, and writer * Brian P. Stack (born 1966), New Jersey senator * Brian Stack (prison officer) (1935/36–1984), shot by the IRA See also * Brian Stock (born 19 ...

Brian Stafford Brian Stafford is an Irish former Gaelic footballer. He played for the Meath county team in the 1980s and early 1990s under the management of Sean Boylan. For Meath he usually played at full forward. He played club football for Kilmainhamwo ...

* Brian Stewart * Brian Sullivan *

Brian Thompson Brian Earl Thompson (born August 28, 1959) is an American actor. His career began with a small role in the 1984 film ''The Terminator''. He played the villainous "Night Slasher" in the 1986 film '' Cobra''. His first named role was on ''Werew ...

* 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 Theodore Tyler (born May 8, 1972) is an American composer, conductor, arranger, and record producer, best known for his film, television, and video game scores. In his 24-year career, Tyler has scored '' Transformers: Prime'', ''Eagle E ...

* Brian Walsh * Brian White *

Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American retired journalist and television news anchor. He was a reporter for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in 2004. ...

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 (disambiguation), 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 (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 (born 1963), American figure skater *Brian Bollinger (born 1968), American football player *Brian Bonsall (born 1981), American rock musician, singer, guitarist and former child actor * Brian Boru (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 (born 1960), former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland *Brian de la Puente (born 1985), NFL football player *Brian Dabul (born 1984), Argentinian tennis player *Brian De Palma (born 1940), American film director *Death of Brian Deneke, Brian Deneke (1978–1997), American teenage punk musician *Brian Dennehy (1938-2020), American actor *Brian Dowling (presenter), Brian Dowling (born 1978), Irish television presenter *Brian Eno (born 1948), English electronic musician, music theorist and record producer *Brian Epstein (1934–1967), English businessperson, manager of The Beatles *Brian Folkerts (born 1990), American football player *Brian Gaine, American football executive *Brian Ginsberg (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 (born 1973), American football executive *Brian Haley (born 1961), American actor and comedian *Brian Horwitz (nicknamed "The Rabbi"; born 1982), American major league baseball outfielder *Brian Hutton, Baron Hutton (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 Figure Skating Championships, 2007 World Champion *Brian Lara (born 1969), former West Indian cricketer *Brian Laudrup (born 1969), former Danish international soccer player *Killing of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie (), American fugitive *Brian Lewerke (born 1996), American football player *Limmy, Brian Limond (born 1974), Scottish comedian *Brian Littrell (born 1975), member of the boy band, The Backstreet Boys *Brian May (born 1947), guitarist, songwriter, founding member of the band Queen *Brian McConaghy (born 1950), Canadian forensic scientist *Brian McKnight (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 (born 1972), lead vocalist of the band Placebo *Brian Moorman (born 1976), American football player for the Buffalo Bills *Brian Mulroney (born 1939), former Canadian prime minister (1984–1993) *Brian O'Driscoll (born 1979), Irish rugby player *Brian O'Keefe (born 1956), Australian rules footballer *Brian O'Keefe (baseball), American baseball player *Brian O'Keeffe, Irish hurler *Brian Orser (born 1961), Canadian figure skater *Brian Paddick (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 (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 (born 1955), American baseball coach *Brian Stelter (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), 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 *Ninja Sex Party, 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'', voiced by Seth MacFarlane * Brian Kinney on Queer as Folk (North American TV series), ''Queer as Folk'' (US), played by Gale Harold * Brian O'Conner in The Fast and the Furious (series), ''The Fast and the Furious'' series, played by Paul Walker * Monty Python's Life of Brian, Brian Cohen, main protagonist of ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'', played by Graham Chapman * Brian Green (Torchwood), 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''

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