Names

Feminine form of Brian.

Variant of Briana.

Feminine form of Brian. This name was used by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene (1590). The name was not commonly used until the 1970s, when it rapidly became popular in the United States.

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.

Derived from Welsh briallu meaning “primrose”. This is a modern Welsh name.

Short form of Brianna, Gabriella and other names containing bri.

From a Middle English surname meaning “a Breton”, referring to an inhabitant of Brittany. A famous bearer is the American football quarterback Brett Favre (1969-).

Possibly from Czech brečet “cry, weep” combined with the Slavic element slava “glory”.

Variant of Brett.

From a surname that was derived from an English place name meaning “Bryni’s town”. Bryni was Old English name meaning “fire”.