Brian name - Meaning of Brian
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- Gender
- Masculine
- Lucky Number
- 8
- Usage
- Irish, English, Ancient Irish
- Pronounced
- BRIE-ən (Irish, English)
- Brian Meaning
- The meaning of this name is not known for certain but it is possibly related to the old Celtic element bre meaning "hill", or by extension "high, noble". It was borne by the semi-legendary Irish king Brian Boru, who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was slain in the Battle of Clontarf, though his forces were decisively victorious. The name was common in Ireland before his time, and even more so afterwards. It came into use in England in the Middle Ages, introduced by Breton settlers. It subsequently became rare, but was revived in the 20th century. The origin of the name Brian is not exactly clear. Most sources suggest that it comes from Irish and Breton languages and it means “noble, high man”, derived from the Celtic element ‘bre’, which means ‘hill’. Brian is known from Irish mythology, and it was also the name of the Irish king Brian Boru. As a masculine given name it started to be used in the Middle Ages, sort of died out afterwards, and gained its popularity back in the 20th century. Both spellings of Brian and Bryan are equally used.
Brian Related Names
Variants: Brion, Bryan, Bryon (English)
Feminine Forms: Brianna (Irish), Breanna, Briana, Brianna, Breana, Breann, Breanne, Brianne, Bryana, Bryanna, Bryanne (English)
Brian Celebrities
Brian Dennehy - actor, Brian Giles - baseball player, Brian McKnight - musician, Brian Setzer - musician, Brian Wilson - musician, Brian Allen - football, Brian Baird - politician, Brian Kendrick - wrestler,
