Brian is a moderately popular boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #251 in 1996 with 113 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2007 with 121 births ranking #312. In 1996, approximately 1 in every 2,819 boys born was named Brian. FALLING Recent data shows the name is currently falling.
Brian is a long-established Irish name usually linked with ideas such as nobility or height. It is simple, familiar, and backed by one of the strongest historical legacies in Irish naming.
The name is especially associated with Brian Boru, the famous High King of Ireland. That connection helped give the name status long before it became a modern mainstream favourite.