Total births
3,588
Boys' name · since 1925
Brien
3,588 babies named Brien in U.S. Social Security records since 1925, with the highest year being 1963. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #11089
- among boys today
- 3,588
- born since 1925
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 22%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Brien is the #11089 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,588 recorded since 1925.
Social Security Administration records show Brien recorded 3,588 times among boys since 1925, holding rank #11089 nationally today, ahead of 22% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1925 to 2025.
- #11089 among boys today
- 3,588 born since 1925
- 1960s peak decade
- 22% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Brien is currently the #11089 boys' name in America, more common than 22% of boys - 3,588 born since 1925, peaking in the 1960s.
- #11089
- among boys today
- 3,588
- born since 1925
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 22%
- more common than other boys
Brien vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#11089
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 22% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Brien was born in this single decade.
1963
Single peak year
99 babies were named Brien in 1963 - its busiest year on record.
How Brien compares
3,588 Top 15% higher than 85% 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
Brien's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Brien | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,588 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 99 | 23 | 22,252 |
Brien's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Brien splits its recorded history at 1980: 40% of all births land in the more recent half, 60% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1925 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1963 peak of 99 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Brien at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1963
Current rank
#11,089
Active since
1925
Brien popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1925–2025
- Peak year (1963)
- 99
- Annual births at peak, across 101 years of records
Brien popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1983 (Brien as girls' name)
Brien by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Brien's strongest decade.
846 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Brien births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 10
1920s
10 births
- 1930s 18
1930s
18 births
- 1940s 123
1940s
123 births
- 1950s
1950s
478 births
- 1960s
1960s
846 births
- 1970s
1970s
689 births
- 1980s
1980s
601 births
- 1990s
1990s
461 births
- 2000s 245
2000s
245 births
- 2010s 92
2010s
92 births
- 2020s 25
2020s
25 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 846 births (24% of all-time use).
How Brien 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 Brien's total volume
Brien vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Brien by state
Where Brien concentrates geographically, total births since 1925
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 312 | 8.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 184 | 5.1% |
| #3 | Texas | | 78 | 2.2% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 66 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 53 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 52 | 1.4% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 46 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 35 | 1.0% |
California share of Brien's total US births 8.7%
Even split
312 of 3,588 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Brien appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Brien? ▼
3,588 babies have been named Brien since 1925. It currently ranks #11089 among boys. The peak year was 1963 with 99 births.
When was Brien most popular? ▼
Brien was most popular in the 1960s decade with 846 total births. The single peak year was 1963.
Where is Brien most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Brien are California (312 births), New York (184 births), Texas (78 births).
How long has the name Brien been used? ▼
Records for Brien go back to 1925, giving 101 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Brien? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Brian, Brice, Briggs, Bridger, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Brien's data
- Brien's decade-level peak was the 1960s (846 total births); usage has since declined to 25 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Briens (312 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 Brien
Nearby Names Like Brien
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Brien
Brian Boy
#302 1,173,735 births
Brice Boy
#2446 15,737 births
Briggs Boy
#327 9,377 births
Bridger Boy
#790 6,873 births
Briar Boy
#698 6,347 births
Compare Brien side by side: Brien vs Brian Brien vs Brice Brien vs Briggs
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Brien
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, 1925–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Brien: #11089 Boys' Name - 3,588 Births, Peak 1963." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/brien. 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 Brien 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.