Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan) 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. 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, a 10th-century king of Ireland. The name was also quite popular in East Anglia 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 1968â€"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 word brian, meaning "maggot" and used as a nickname.
Variants of the name include Briant, Brien, Bran, 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.
Notable individuals with this name
- Mononyms
- Brian (dog), famous war dog
- Brian (mythology), Celtic mythological figure
- Surname
- Denis Brian (born 1923), British author
- Donald Brian (1877â€"1948), Canadian-American actor, dancer, and singer
- Havergal Brian (1876â€"1972), British classical composer
- Mary Brian (1906â€"2002), American actress and movie star
- Morgan Brian (born 1993), American women's soccer player
- Given name
- Brian Ah Yat (born 1975), American football player
- Brian Alderson (1950â€"1997), Scottish footballer
- Brian Austin Green (born July 15, 1973) American actor and rapper
- Brian Bell (born 1968), member of American rock group Weezer
- Brian Blessed (born 1937), English actor
- Brian Boitano (born 1963), American figure skater
- Brian Bollinger (born 1968), American football player
- Brian Boru (941â€"1014), Irish king who overthrew the centuries-long domination of the Kingship of Ireland by the Uà Néill
- Brian Broomell (born 1958), American football player
- Brian Clough (1935â€"2004), British football manager
- Brian Cornell, American businessman
- Brian Cowen (born 1960), former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland
- Brian Cox (disambiguation)
- Brian de la Puente (born 1985), NFL football player
- Brian De Palma (born 1940), American film director
- Brian Eno (born 1948), English electronic musician, music theorist and record producer
- Brian Epstein (1934â€"1967), English businessperson, manager of The Beatles
- Brian Fitzpatrick (born 1987), Irish basketball player
- Brian Gowins (born 1976), American football player
- Brian Grazer (born 1951), American Oscar-winning film and television producer
- Brian Horwitz (nicknamed "The Rabbi"; born 1982), American major league baseball outfielder
- Brian J. White (born April 21, 1975) American actor, producer, model, dancer, and stockbroker.
- Brian Johnson (born 1947), member and lead vocalist of the hard rock band AC/DC
- Brian Johnston (1912â€"1994), British cricket commentator
- Brian Jones (1942â€"1969), founding member, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist in the English rock group The Rolling Stones
- 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 Kim (born 1975/76), American former hedge fund manager and criminal
- Brian Lara (born 1969), former West Indian cricketer
- Brian Laudrup (born 1969), former Danish international soccer player
- Brian Littrell (born 1975), member of the boy band, The Backstreet Boys
- Brian May (born 1947), famous guitarist from the band, Queen
- Brian McConaghy (born 1950), Canadian forensic scientist
- Brian McFadden (born 1980), Irish singer and former member of the boyband Westlife
- Brian McKnight (born June 5, 1969) American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B musician.
- Brian Molko (born 1972), lead vocalist of the band Placebo
- Brian Moore (disambiguation)
- Brian Moorman (born 1976), American football player for the Buffalo Bills
- Brian Mulroney (born 1939), former Canadian prime minister (1984â€"1993)
- Brian O'Driscoll (born 1979), Irish rugby player
- Brian Paddick (born 1958), British politician
- Brian Peaker (born 1959), Canadian rower
- Brian Peets (born 1956), American football player
- Brian Piccolo (1943â€"1970), American football player for the Chicago Bears and subject of TV movie Brian's Song
- Brian R. James (born 1974), American game designer and software engineer
- Brian Ransom (born 1940), Canadian politician
- 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 Smith (disambiguation)
- Brian Stephney (born 1983), Montserratian cricketer
- 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 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
- Brian Wilson (born 1942), member of American music group, The Beach Boys
- Brian Wilson (born 1982), pitcher for the San Francisco Giants
Fictional characters
- Brian Griffin on Family Guy, voiced by Seth MacFarlane
- Brian Kinney on Queer as Folk (US), played by Gale Harold
- Brian O'Conner on The Fast and the Furious series, played by Paul Walker
Media titles
Some 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, television series that began in 2006
- Burying Brian, mini New Zealand TV series
See also
- All pages beginning with "Brian"
- Brian (disambiguation)
- Bryan (given name)
- List of Irish-language given names
- Brian (software)
References
