Bryan is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Bryan means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Bryan across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Bryan has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Bryan is a boy name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “noble, high”. a variant spelling of Brian.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 391,306 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,750 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,303 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 85 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,286 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,435 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 Bryan per year, United States (1883 to 2025). United States peaked in 1985 (8,788/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1981 (137/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1985 (92/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2015 (89/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (8/yr).
Bryan has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1985, when it ranked #84 nationally (given to 8,993 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Brian · Brianna · Briana · Breanna · Brianne · Brynn · Brenna · Bryanna
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