Updated May 24, 2023

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Boy name origins & meanings

  • Irish : Strong

What does Bryan mean and stand for?

The name Bryan is of Irish origin and means "strong." It is a newer variation of the once popular name Brian.

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Brian

Brian

- 2% this year
Masculine
Common
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Bryon

Bryon

+ 5% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Bryant

Bryant

- 18% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Brien

Brien

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Briant

Briant

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Briand

Briand

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Briann

Briann

- 25% this year
Masculine
Rare
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Brianne

Brianne

- 17% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Briano

Briano

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Brainao

Brainao

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Briaun

Briaun

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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How Popular Is The Name Bryan

Family name origins & meanings

  • English (of Norman origin) : habitational name (de Brionne) from either of two places called Brionne in northern France (in Eure and Creuse).
  • Irish and English : from the Celtic personal name Brian (see O’Brien). Breton bearers of this name were among the Normans who invaded England in 1066, and they went on to invade and settle in Ireland in the 12th century, where the name mingled with the native Irish name Brian. This native Irish name had also been borrowed by Vikings, who introduced it independently into northwestern England before the Norman Conquest.

What Does the Name Bryan Mean?

Bryan is of Irish origin and has become quite the popular spelling variation of the name Brian.

How Popular is the Name Bryan?

Bryan is the number 285 most popular boys name in the US, according to 2021 Social Security Administration data. This spelling variation had once been very popular, but since falling out of the top 100 in 2011, it has since been on a slow decline.

Bryan was once popular in only Ireland, but this variation has made its way to many other countries in the last few decades.

However, it is the 41st most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

Popularity of the Name Bryan in the United States

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Bryan was at its peak popularity in January 2020.

Bryan was searched for most often in the following states:

  1. Nebraska
  2. Texas
  3. Ohio
  4. Oklahoma
  5. Kentucky

Famous People Named Bryan and Bryan in Pop Culture

In recent years, Bryan has surpassed its original spelling Brian in popularity. This could be due to the namesakes Bryan Cranston, Bryan Ferry, and Bryan Brown. Despite the rise in this spelling variation, Bryan has still not infiltrated pop culture characters recently.

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Meaning and Origin of Bryan