Total births
389,589
Boys' name · since 1883
Bryan
389,589 babies named Bryan in U.S. Social Security records since 1883, with the highest year being 1985. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #308
- among boys today
- 389,589
- born since 1883
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Bryan is the #308 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 389,589 recorded since 1883.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bryan has been recorded 389,589 times among boys since 1883, currently ranked #308 nationally and more common than 98% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1883 to 2025.
- #308 among boys today
- 389,589 born since 1883
- 1980s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bryan is currently the #308 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 389,589 born since 1883, peaking in the 1980s.
- #308
- among boys today
- 389,589
- born since 1883
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Bryan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#308
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Bryan was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
8,717 babies were named Bryan in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
How Bryan compares
389,589 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Bryan's all-time total is 1,062x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bryan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 389,589 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8,717 | 23 | 22,252 |
Bryan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Bryan splits its recorded history at 1957: 96% of all births land in the more recent half, 4% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1886 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1985 peak of 8,717 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Bryan at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1985
Current rank
#308
Active since
1883
Bryan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1883–2025
- Peak year (1985)
- 8,717
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Bryan popularity over time - girls
1,717 total births recorded since 1951 (Bryan as girls' name)
Bryan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Bryan's strongest decade.
80,502 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Bryan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 11
1880s
11 births
- 1890s 405
1890s
405 births
- 1900s 197
1900s
197 births
- 1910s 462
1910s
462 births
- 1920s 1,162
1920s
1,162 births
- 1930s 1,295
1930s
1,295 births
- 1940s 3,976
1940s
3,976 births
- 1950s 20,628
1950s
20,628 births
- 1960s
1960s
55,304 births
- 1970s
1970s
71,338 births
- 1980s
1980s
80,502 births
- 1990s
1990s
59,751 births
- 2000s
2000s
61,930 births
- 2010s 25,694
2010s
25,694 births
- 2020s 6,934
2020s
6,934 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 80,502 births (21% of all-time use).
How Bryan 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 Bryan's total volume
Bryan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Bryan by state
Where Bryan concentrates geographically, total births since 1883
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 58,628 | 15.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 37,090 | 9.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 23,797 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Florida | | 18,701 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 17,702 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 16,578 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 15,331 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 12,973 | 3.3% |
California share of Bryan's total US births 15.0%
Even split
58,628 of 389,589 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Bryan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bryan? ▼
Since 1883, Social Security records show 389,589 babies named Bryan. Today it holds rank #308 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1985, with 8,717 births.
When was Bryan most popular? ▼
Bryan was most popular in the 1980s decade with 80,502 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Bryan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bryan are California (58,628 births), Texas (37,090 births), New York (23,797 births).
How long has the name Bryan been used? ▼
Records for Bryan go back to 1883, giving 143 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Bryan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bryce, Bryson, Bryant, Bryon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Bryan's data
- Bryan's decade-level peak was the 1980s (80,502 total births); usage has since declined to 6,934 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Bryans (58,628 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 Bryan
Nearby Names Like Bryan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bryan
Bryce Boy
#296 124,103 births
Bryson Boy
#147 83,241 births
Bryant Boy
#1177 51,697 births
Bryon Boy
#5671 14,720 births
Brycen Boy
#752 13,986 births
Compare Bryan side by side: Bryan vs Bryce Bryan vs Bryson Bryan vs Bryant
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bryan
Martin #307
315,561 births · Peak 1963
Brady #309
96,770 births · Peak 2007
Francisco #306
142,192 births · Peak 1993
Shepherd #310
7,785 births · Peak 2025
Zane #305
56,664 births · Peak 2018
Casey #311
116,675 births · Peak 1990
Kaden #304
69,595 births · Peak 2006
Aidan #312
118,431 births · Peak 2003
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, 1883–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bryan: #308 Boys' Name - 389,589 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bryan. 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 Bryan 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.