Briar is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Briar means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Briar across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Briar has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Briar is a unisex name of English origin meaning “thorny shrub”. A nature name from the English word for a wild rose bush.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 13,349 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 239 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 36 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Briar per year, United States (1971 to 2025). United States peaked in 2025 (1,175/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (29/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (10/yr).
Briar has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #563 nationally (given to 1,214 babies that year).
Bryer · Brewer · Bryar · Barara · Bror · Breyer · Bryaire · Bryor
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