Boys' name · peaked in 1973
Brian name popularity since 1925
1,178,008 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Brian. Half of them were born in 1975 or earlier, so the typical Brian is about 51 years old in 2026. Brian peaked in 1973 as the #8 name for boys, and it ranked #339 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 1,178,008
- Named Brian, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #339
- for boys in 2025 (979 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 4,563 girls · 1,173,445 boys
- Most popular in
- New Hampshire
- 1.56× its national share
Peak year is the year Brian made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Brian births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 1972. Measured as a share of all babies, Brian peaked in 1973.
- Fastest rise: Between 1932 and 1937, Brian became 4.3× more common.
- Steepest fall: Between 2007 and 2012, its share of baby boys fell by 49%, from 1 in 342 to 1 in 673.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Brian's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Brian.
Decade by decade
Babies named Brian in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | 397 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 3,173 | #347 |
| 1940s | 47 | 22,793 | #113 |
| 1950s | 193 | 112,336 | #40 |
| 1960s | 769 | 258,129 | #19 |
| 1970s | 1,583 | 322,660 | #8 |
| 1980s | 1,368 | 233,993 | #18 |
| 1990s | 372 | 119,309 | #36 |
| 2000s | 197 | 69,775 | #63 |
| 2010s | 34 | 24,107 | #189 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 6,773 | #339 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
42.1% of babies named Brian from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen X years (1965–1980). The full split by generation:
Where Brian is most popular
The index compares Brian's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Brian.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 1.56× | 5,837 |
| Delaware | 1.54× | 3,794 |
| Massachusetts | 1.52× | 42,948 |
| Vermont | 1.52× | 3,004 |
| Connecticut | 1.47× | 18,985 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Brian and were given to at least 1,000 boys from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Boys | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Brian (this page) | 1,173,445 | 1973 |
| Bryan | 387,995 | 1977 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Brian's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Brian.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Brian (1973).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data