Bryan
A male given name from Irish, a less common alternative spelling of Brian.
Every Bryan since 1883 — 391,306 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Bryan
Bryan is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #336 in 2025 with 1,005 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1883, 391,306 American babies have been named Bryan. Its peak came in 1985, when 8,788 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Bryan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Bryan year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 1,005 | #336 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,105 | #307 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,082 | #305 |
| 2022 | — | — | 1,172 | #291 |
| 2021 | 5 | #15,685 | 1,211 | #285 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,359 | #259 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,425 | #255 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,641 | #233 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,840 | #211 |
| 2016 | 5 | #16,713 | 2,130 | #186 |
| 2015 | — | — | 2,492 | #166 |
| 2014 | 9 | #11,151 | 2,731 | #149 |
| 2013 | — | — | 2,893 | #133 |
| 2012 | 10 | #10,581 | 3,083 | #121 |
| 2011 | 7 | #13,616 | 3,521 | #110 |
| 2010 | 13 | #8,811 | 3,938 | #97 |
| 2009 | 9 | #11,630 | 4,856 | #92 |
| 2008 | 14 | #8,610 | 5,505 | #82 |
| 2007 | 11 | #10,247 | 6,180 | #78 |
| 2006 | 16 | #7,553 | 6,699 | #66 |
| 2005 | 11 | #9,566 | 6,454 | #72 |
| 2004 | 29 | #4,618 | 6,732 | #65 |
| 2003 | 20 | #5,853 | 6,619 | #64 |
| 2002 | 24 | #4,929 | 6,617 | #64 |
| 2001 | 26 | #4,583 | 6,125 | #69 |
| 2000 | 27 | #4,426 | 6,143 | #70 |
| 1995 | 17 | #5,482 | 5,444 | #70 |
| 1990 | 29 | #3,631 | 7,439 | #57 |
| 1985 | 71 | #1,652 | 8,717 | #48 |
| 1980 | 65 | #1,723 | 7,513 | #49 |
| 1975 | 34 | #2,365 | 6,998 | #47 |
| 1970 | 36 | #2,204 | 6,452 | #53 |
| 1965 | 16 | #3,161 | 5,345 | #63 |
| 1960 | 15 | #3,223 | 4,780 | #88 |
| 1955 | — | — | 1,568 | #177 |
| 1950 | — | — | 737 | #247 |
| 1945 | — | — | 308 | #342 |
| 1940 | — | — | 200 | #406 |
| 1935 | — | — | 108 | #553 |
| 1930 | — | — | 122 | #544 |
| 1925 | — | — | 149 | #498 |
| 1920 | — | — | 83 | #716 |
| 1915 | — | — | 50 | #868 |
| 1910 | — | — | 12 | #937 |
| 1905 | — | — | 10 | #798 |
| 1900 | — | — | 55 | #277 |
| 1895 | — | — | 27 | #359 |
| 1890 | — | — | 7 | #817 |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Bryan
- Bryan Cranston Actor · b. 1956
- Bryan Adams Singer · b. 1959
- Bryan Ferry Singer · b. 1945
- Bryan Brown Actor · b. 1947
- Bryan Singer Film director · b. 1965
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Bryan mean?
A male given name from Irish, a less common alternative spelling of Brian.
How popular is the name Bryan in 2025?
Bryan ranked #336 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,005 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Bryan?
391,306 babies have been named Bryan in the United States since 1883, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Bryan most popular?
Bryan peaked in 1985, when 8,788 newborns received the name.
Is Bryan a boy or girl name?
Bryan is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Bryan rising or falling?
Bryan is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Bryan?
Well-known people named Bryan include Bryan Cranston (actor), Bryan Adams (singer), Bryan Ferry (singer).