Brian is a moderately popular boys' name in United States, ranking #189 in 2015 with 2,217 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 1996 with 10,476 births ranking #36. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 78.8%. In 2015, approximately 1 in every 864 boys born was named Brian. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
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.