Total births
1,173,735
Boys' name · since 1909
Brian
1,173,735 babies named Brian in U.S. Social Security records since 1909, with the highest year being 1972. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #302
- among boys today
- 1,173,735
- born since 1909
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
1,173,735 babies have been named Brian since 1909, making it today's #302 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Brian recorded 1,173,735 times among boys since 1909, holding rank #302 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #302 among boys today
- 1,173,735 born since 1909
- 1970s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brian is currently the #302 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 1,173,735 born since 1909, peaking in the 1970s.
- #302
- among boys today
- 1,173,735
- born since 1909
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Brian vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#302
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
1970s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Brian was born in this single decade.
1972
Single peak year
36,306 babies were named Brian in 1972 - its busiest year on record.
How Brian compares
1,173,735 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Brian's all-time total is 3,198x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brian | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,173,735 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 36,306 | 23 | 22,252 |
Brian's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Brian splits its recorded history at 1968: 71% of all births land in the more recent half, 29% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1909 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1972 peak of 36,306 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Brian at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1972
Current rank
#302
Active since
1909
Brian popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1972)
- 36,306
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Brian popularity over time - girls
4,563 total births recorded since 1943 (Brian as girls' name)
Brian by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Brian's strongest decade.
322,660 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Brian births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 116
1910s
116 births
- 1920s 566
1920s
566 births
- 1930s 3,173
1930s
3,173 births
- 1940s 22,793
1940s
22,793 births
- 1950s 112,336
1950s
112,336 births
- 1960s
1960s
258,129 births
- 1970s
1970s
322,660 births
- 1980s
1980s
233,993 births
- 1990s 119,309
1990s
119,309 births
- 2000s 69,775
2000s
69,775 births
- 2010s 24,107
2010s
24,107 births
- 2020s 6,773
2020s
6,773 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 322,660 births (27% of all-time use).
How Brian compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Brian's total volume
Brian vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brian by state
Where Brian concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 125,913 | 10.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 101,362 | 8.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 72,320 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 69,634 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 67,755 | 5.8% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 57,552 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Texas | | 49,347 | 4.2% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 45,717 | 3.9% |
California share of Brian's total US births 10.7%
Even split
125,913 of 1,173,735 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Brian appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brian? ▼
Brian has been given to 1,173,735 babies in the U.S. since 1909, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #302 as of the latest data. 36,306 babies were born in 1972, its single highest year.
When was Brian most popular? ▼
Brian was most popular in the 1970s decade with 322,660 total births. The single peak year was 1972.
Where is Brian most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brian are California (125,913 births), New York (101,362 births), Pennsylvania (72,320 births).
How long has the name Brian been used? ▼
Records for Brian go back to 1909, giving 117 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Brian? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brice, Briggs, Bridger, Briar, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Brian's data
- Brian's decade-level peak was the 1970s (322,660 total births); usage has since declined to 6,773 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Brians (125,913 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Brian
Nearby Names Like Brian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brian
Brice Boy
#2446 15,737 births
Briggs Boy
#327 9,377 births
Bridger Boy
#790 6,873 births
Briar Boy
#698 6,347 births
Britton Boy
#2964 6,337 births
Compare Brian side by side: Brian vs Brice Brian vs Briggs Brian vs Bridger
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brian
Bodhi #301
14,292 births · Peak 2025
Cruz #303
30,792 births · Peak 2013
Reid #300
40,791 births · Peak 2014
Kaden #304
69,595 births · Peak 2006
Maximiliano #299
23,972 births · Peak 2019
Zane #305
56,664 births · Peak 2018
Zyaire #298
8,807 births · Peak 2024
Francisco #306
142,192 births · Peak 1993
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brian: #302 Boys' Name - 1,173,735 Births, Peak 1972." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brian. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Brian draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.