Boys' name · peaked in 1977
Bryan name popularity since 1925
389,712 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Bryan. Half of them were born in 1985 or earlier, so the typical Bryan is about 41 years old in 2026. Bryan peaked in 1977 as the #42 name for boys, and it ranked #336 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 389,712
- Named Bryan, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #336
- for boys in 2025 (1,005 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.6% boys
- 1,717 girls · 387,995 boys
- Most popular in
- Nevada
- 1.68× its national share
Peak year is the year Bryan 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.
Bryan births per year, 1925–2025
The biggest year by count was 1985. Measured as a share of all babies, Bryan peaked in 1977.
- Fastest rise: Between 1953 and 1958, Bryan became 3.6× more common, from 1 in 1,880 baby boys to 1 in 519.
- Steepest fall: Between 2007 and 2012, its share of baby boys fell by 45%, from 1 in 336 to 1 in 615.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Bryan's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Bryan.
Decade by decade
Babies named Bryan 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 | 643 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 1,295 | #553 |
| 1940s | 0 | 3,976 | #342 |
| 1950s | 42 | 20,628 | #177 |
| 1960s | 208 | 55,304 | #63 |
| 1970s | 410 | 71,338 | #47 |
| 1980s | 579 | 80,502 | #48 |
| 1990s | 242 | 59,751 | #70 |
| 2000s | 187 | 61,930 | #72 |
| 2010s | 44 | 25,694 | #166 |
| 2020–25 | 5 | 6,934 | #336 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000.
Generation fingerprint
30.1% of babies named Bryan from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Millennial years (1981–1996). The full split by generation:
Where Bryan is most popular
The index compares Bryan'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 Bryan.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 1.68× | 2,343 |
| California | 1.42× | 58,848 |
| Florida | 1.33× | 18,712 |
| Delaware | 1.32× | 1,071 |
| Utah | 1.30× | 4,330 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Bryan 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan (this page) | 387,995 | 1977 |
| Brian | 1,173,445 | 1973 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 499 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Bryan's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Bryan.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Bryan (1977).
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