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Brianna

♀ Girl

Pronounced bree-AN-uh /briˈæn.ə/High

Meaning: Strong, virtuous, honourable — feminine form of Brian, from Old Celtic <em>brig</em> (high, noble, strong)High

In 30 seconds: The feminine form of the ancient Irish name Brian, Brianna carries centuries of Celtic strength. It surged into the U.S. top 10 in the 1990s and remains a perennial classic.
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Origin HighIrish, Celtic
MeaningStrong, virtuous, honourable — feminine form of Brian, from Old Celtic <em>brig</em> (high, noble, strong)
Peak year2000
Total births (all-time)≈ 250,339

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200019632017

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Brianna is the feminine form of Brian, an Irish name of debated but likely Old Celtic origin, possibly from brig meaning 'high,' 'noble,' or 'strong.' The name Brian was made famous by Brian Boru (c. 941–1014), the High King of Ireland who defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Clontarf. Brianna as a female form was recorded as early as Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1590).

Brianna became popular in the United States during the 1970s and reached its peak in the 1990s and 2000s, entering the top 10 girls' names. It is part of a broader wave of Irish-heritage names embraced by American families. Spelling variants like Breanna and Briana are also common.

Did you know? The earliest known use of Brianna as a given name in English literature appears in Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590), where it is borne by a female character — centuries before the name became popular.

Variations

BrianaBreannaBryanna

Nicknames

BriBriaBreeAnna

Famous Bearers

  • ★Brianna Hildebrand (b. 1996)
    American actress known for her role as Negasonic Teenage Warhead in the Deadpool films.

If you like Brianna…

Sienna— three-syllable girls' name ending in -a with the same flowing rhythm
Delaney— Irish-heritage surname-name popular with similar audiences

Frequently Asked

What does the name Brianna mean?

Brianna is the feminine form of Brian and means 'strong,' 'noble,' or 'virtuous,' from Old Celtic roots.

How do you pronounce Brianna?

Brianna is pronounced bree-AN-uh /briˈæn.ə/ — three syllables with stress on the middle.

Is Brianna a boy or girl name?

Brianna is a girls' name, the feminine form of the boys' name Brian.

How popular is Brianna?

Brianna was a U.S. top-10 girls' name in the late 1990s and remains in the top 100 today.