Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan 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 ...

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and Breton origin, as well as a surname of

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, spoken in parts o ...

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 langua ...

. 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 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. Br ...

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

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 Con ...

. 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. ...

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 '' Bryan''. 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. Old ...

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. ...

" 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 Briant may refer to: ; Places * Briant, Saône-et-Loire, a commune in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France ; People * Alexander Briant (1556–1581), an English Jesuit and martyr, executed at Tyburn * Frank Briant (1863–1934), a British Libe ...

, 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, Bryan, Bryant, Brjánn (in Icelandic) and Bryon. Variant spellings such as "Brien" are sometimes used as female given names, especially among members of the Irish diaspora.Gray, Breda. "Women and the Irish Diaspora". London : Routledge, 2004. p.87

Notable people with the name

Mononyms

* Brian (dog), original name of Bing, a dog who served in the British Army in World War II * Brian (mythology), Celtic mythological figure * Brian, a snail character in the children's television programme ''

The Magic Roundabout ''The Magic Roundabout'' is an English-language children's television programme that ran from 1965 to 1977. It used the footage of the French stop motion animation show ''Le Manège enchanté'' but with completely different scripts and characte ...

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-known ...

(1876–1972), British classical composer *

Mary Brian Mary Brian (born Louise Byrdie Dantzler, February 17, 1906 – December 30, 2002) was an American actress who made the transition from silent films to sound films. Early life Brian was born in Corsicana, Texas, the daughter of Taurrence J. ...

(1906–2002), American actress and movie star * Morgan Brian (born 1993), American women's soccer player

Given name: common combinations

* Brian Allen *

Brian Andersen Brian Andersen (born 13 March 1971) is a Danish former international motorcycle speedway rider. Career Andersen reached the final of the Under-21 World Championship in 1990 and then won the event the following year to become the 1991 Junior ...

* Brian Anderson * Brian Becker *

Brian Bell Brian Lane Bell (born December 9, 1968) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Weezer, with whom he has recorded f ...

* Brian Bennett * Brian Blake * Brian Bowman * Brian Briggs * 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 ...

* Brian Campbell *

Brian Carroll Brian Carroll (born July 20, 1981) is an American retired soccer player who last played for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. He is currently the only player in MLS history to have won 4 consecutive Supporter Shields. Career Youth an ...

* 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 Coleman FRSA (born 25 June 1961) is a former Independent Conservative politician and a former councillor in the London Borough of Barnet. He was a Conservative Party member of the London Assembly for Barnet and Camden between 2000 an ...

* Brian Collins * Brian Cook * Brian Cox *

Brian Cummings Brian Douglas Cummings (born March 4, 1948) is an American voice actor, known for his work in radio and television commercials, television and motion picture promos, cartoons and as the announcer on '' The All-New Let's Make a Deal'' from 1984 to ...

* Brian Cunningham * Brian Davis * Brian Dixon * Brian Doyle * Brian Edwards * Brian Fallon * Brian Fitzpatrick *

Brian Fletcher Brian Fletcher (18 May 1947 – 11 January 2017) was an English jockey known for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 and 1974 and for second place in 1975. He first won the Grand National at the age of 20, in 1968 ridin ...

* Brian Flynn * Brian Francis * Brian Freeman * Brian Gibson *

Brian Grant Brian Wade Grant (born March 5, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions for five teams during 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He was known for his tenaciou ...

* Brian Green * Brian Hall * Brian Harvey * Brian Henderson *

Brian Higgins Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and N ...

* 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 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 T ...

* 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 Magee (born 9 June 1975) is a Northern Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2012.. Retrieved 19 June 2016. He held the WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title in 2012, and the IBO title from 2001 to 2004. At regiona ...

Brian Marshall Brian Aubrey Marshall (born April 24, 1973) is an American musician and songwriter best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. Early life Brian Aubrey Marshall was born April 24, 1973, in Jackson, Missi ...

* Brian Martin * Brian Mason *

Brian McBride Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham and Chicago Fire. He is the fifth-highest all-time leading goalscorer for the United States national team. For m ...

Brian McFadden Brian Nicholas McFadden (born 12 April 1980) is an Irish pop singer and television presenter who rose to fame in 1998 as a member of the Irish boy band Westlife. Following his departure from the group in 2004, McFadden released his debut solo ...

* Brian McLean * Brian Miller * Brian Moore *

Brian Moran Brian Joseph Moran (born September 9, 1959) is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He served as Virginia Secretary of Public Safety from 2014 to 2022, and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1996 until 2 ...

Brian Mullins Brian Mullins (27 September 1954 – 30 September 2022) was an Irish Gaelic football manager and player. He played football with his local club St Vincent's and was a senior member of the Dublin county team from 1974 until 1985. Mullins lat ...

Brian Murphy Brian Murphy may refer to: Sportspeople * Brian Murphy (Jamaican cricketer) (born 1973), Jamaican cricketer * Brian Murphy (Zimbabwean cricketer) (born 1976), Zimbabwean cricketer * Brian Murphy (baseball) (born 1980), American head baseball coach ...

Brian O'Halloran Brian Christopher O'Halloran (born December 20, 1969) is an American actor, producer, and podcaster best known for playing Dante Hicks in Kevin Smith's debut 1994 film '' Clerks'' and its 2006 and 2022 sequels '' Clerks II'' and '' Clerks III' ...

* Brian O'Neill * Brian O'Sullivan * Brian Plummer * 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 M ...

Brian Scott Brian Joseph Scott (born January 12, 1988) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. Racing career Beginnings Scott has been racing competitively since the age of 12. One of his early career highlights came at the 360 Nationals ...

Brian Shaw Brian Keith Shaw (born March 22, 1966) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He could play both guard positions, but wa ...

* Brian Simmons * Brian Smith * Brian Smyth *

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 (disambiguation), Brian Stewart *Brian Sullivan (disambiguation), Brian Sullivan *Brian Thompson (disambiguation), Brian Thompson *Brian Thomson (disambiguation), Brian Thomson *Brian Tucker (disambiguation), Brian Tucker *Brian Turner (disambiguation), Brian Turner *Brian Tyler (disambiguation), Brian Tyler *Brian Walsh (disambiguation), Brian Walsh *Brian White (disambiguation), Brian White *Brian Williams (disambiguation), Brian Williams *Brian Wilson (disambiguation), Brian Wilson *Brian Wong (disambiguation), Brian Wong *Brian Wood (disambiguation), 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 *

(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