Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

origin. It is common in the

English-speaking world The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English language, English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the ...

. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word meaning "high" or "noble". For example, the element ''bre'' means "hill"; which could be transferred to mean "eminence" or "exalted one". The name is quite popular in Ireland, on account of

Brian Boru Brian Boru (; modern ; 23 April 1014) was the High King of Ireland from 1002 to 1014. He ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill, and is likely responsible for ending Vikings, Viking invasio ...

, a 10th-century

High King of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

. The name was also quite popular in

East Anglia East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...

during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. This is because the name was introduced to England by

Bretons The Bretons (; or , ) are an ethnic group native to Brittany, north-western France. Originally, the demonym designated groups of Common Brittonic, Brittonic speakers who emigrated from Dumnonia, southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwal ...

following the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. Bretons also settled in Ireland along with the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...

in the 12th century, and 'their' name was mingled with the 'Irish' version. Also, in the north-west of England, the 'Irish' name was introduced by Scandinavian settlers from Ireland. Within the Gaelic-speaking areas of Scotland, the name was at first only used by professional families of Irish origin. It was the fourth most popular male name in England and Wales in 1934, but a sharp decline followed over the remainder of the 20th century and by 1994 it had fallen out of the top 100. It retained its popularity in the United States for longer; its most popular period there was from 1968 to 1979 when it consistently ranked between eighth and tenth. The name has become increasingly popular in South America, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, since the early 1990s. The surname ''Brian'' is sometimes an English and Irish variant spelling of the surname '' Bryan''. The English and French surname ''Brian'' is sometimes derived from the Celtic personal name shown above. The surname ''Brian'' can also sometimes be a French surname; derived from the

Old Occitan Old Occitan (, ), also called Old Provençal, was the earliest form of the Occitano-Romance languages, as attested in writings dating from the 8th to the 14th centuries. Old Occitan generally includes Early and Old Occitan. Middle Occitan is some ...

word ''brian'', meaning "

maggot A maggot is the larva of a fly (order Diptera); it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachycera flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, hoverflies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and cr ...

" and used as a

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

. Variants of the name include Briant, Brien,

Bran Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the component of a Cereal, cereal grain consisting of the hard layersthe combined aleurone and Fruit anatomy#Pericarp layers, pericarpsurrounding the endosperm. Maize, Corn (maize) bran also includes the p ...

, Brion, Bryan, Bryant, Brjánn (in Icelandic) and Bryon. Variant spellings such as "Brien" are sometimes used as female given names, especially among members of the

Irish diaspora The Irish diaspora () refers to ethnic Irish people and their descendants who live outside the island of Ireland. The phenomenon of migration from Ireland is recorded since the Early Middle Ages,Flechner, Roy; Meeder, Sven (2017). The Irish ...

. In Latin America, the phonetic spelling “Brayan” is often used, associated with working-class parents aspiring to a higher socioeconomic status associated with Anglo-American culture, and mocked for that reason on social media.

Notable people with the name

Mononyms

Brian (dog) Bing (1942–44 – October 1955) was a dog who received the Dickin Medal in 1947 from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals for bravery in service during the Second World War. An Alsatian and Collie cross, Bing (originally named "Bri ...

, original name of Bing, a dog who served in the British Army in World War II *

Brian (mythology) In Gaelic mythology, Brian (or Uar) was one of the three Sons of Tuireann along with Iuchar and Iucharba. Name In many extant institutionally-held manuscripts of the ''Oidheadh Chlainne Tuireann'', Brian is actually called Uar (or Uair), but ...

, Celtic mythological figure *Brian, a snail character in the children's television programme ''

The Magic Roundabout ''The Magic Roundabout'' is an English-language children's programme that ran on BBC Television from 1965 to 1977. It used the footage of the French stop motion animation show '' Le Manège enchanté'' but with completely different scripts a ...

Surname

* Denis Brian (1923–2017), British journalist and writer *

Donald Brian Donald Brian (February 17, 1877 – December 22, 1948) was an actor, dancer and singer born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Colony of Newfoundland, Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada). In 1907, he sta ...

(1877–1948), Canadian-American actor, dancer, and singer *

Havergal Brian William Havergal Brian (29 January 187628 November 1972) was an English composer, librettist, and church organist. He is best known for having composed 32 symphonies—an unusually high number amongst his contemporaries—25 of them ...

(1876–1972), British classical composer * Mary Brian (1906–2002), American actress and movie star * Morgan Brian (born 1993), American women's soccer player

Given name: common combinations

* Brian Allen *

Brian Andersen Brian Askel Andersen (born 13 March 1971) is a Danish former international motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 12 caps for the Denmark national speedway team. Career Andersen reached the final of the Under-21 World Championship in 1990. ...

* Brian Anderson *

Brian Becker Brian Becker is an American politician who was a Democratic member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, where he represented the 19th Assembly District, which consists of portions of West Hartford, Avon, and Farmington. A graduate ...

* Brian Bedford *

Brian Bell Brian Lane Bell (born December 9, 1968) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band Weezer, with whom he has ...

Brian Bennett Brian Laurence Bennett (born 9 February 1940) is an English drummer, pianist, composer and producer of popular music. He is best known as the drummer of the UK rock and roll group the Shadows. He is the father of musician and Shadows band memb ...

Brian Blake Brian Ernest Blake (born August 26, 1960) is an American logger, forester, and politician who served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the Washington's 19th legislative district, 19th district from 2002 to 202 ...

Brian Briggs Brian Briggs (29 March 1932 – 2 August 1996) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for Great Britain national rugby league team, Great Britain, England nation ...

* Brian Brown * Brian Burns * Brian Butler * Brian Byrne * Brian Campbell *

Brian Carroll Brian Carroll (born July 20, 1981) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder, notably appearing for D.C. United Columbus Crew and Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. He is the only player in ML ...

* Brian Clark *

Brian Clarke Sir Brian Clarke (born 2 July 1953) is a British Painting, painter, architectural artist, designer and Printmaking, printmaker, known for his large-scale stained glass and mosaic projects, symbolist paintings, set designs, and collaborations w ...

* Brian Cole *

Brian Coleman Brian Coleman FRSA (born 25 June 1961) is a former Independent Conservative politician and a former councillor in the London Borough of Barnet. He was a Conservative Party member of the London Assembly for Barnet and Camden between 2000 an ...

* Brian Collins * Brian Cook * Brian Cox * Brian Cummings * Brian Cunningham * Brian Davis * Brian Dixon * Brian Doyle * Brian Duffy * Brian Edwards *

Brian Fallon Brian Michael Fallon (born January 28, 1980) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main lyricist of the rock band the Gaslight Anthem, with whom he has recorded six studio al ...

* Brian Fitzpatrick *

Brian Fletcher Brian Fletcher (18 May 1947 – 11 January 2017) was an English jockey known for riding the horse Red Rum to win the Grand National in 1973 Grand National, 1973 and 1974 Grand National, 1974 and for second place in 1975 Grand National, 1975. He ...

* Brian Flynn * Brian Francis * Brian Freeman * Brian Gibson *

Brian Grant Brian Wade Grant (born March 5, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward (basketball), power forward and Center (basketball), center positions for five teams during 12 seasons in the National Basket ...

* Brian Green *

Brian Griffin Brian Griffin is a fictional character from the American animated sitcom ''Family Guy''. He is one of the main characters of the series and a member of the Griffin family. Created, designed, and voiced by Seth MacFarlane, he is an anthrop ...

* Brian Hall *

Brian Harvey Brian Lee Harvey (born 8 August 1974) is an English singer from London. He was the lead singer of pop group East 17. The later incarnation of the band, E-17, had two top 20 singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1998 and 1999, with the album ...

* Brian Henderson * Brian Higgins * Brian Hill * Brian Hogan * Brian James *

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980 at the age of 32, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. Johnson was one of the founding members of th ...

Brian Johnston Brian Alexander Johnston (24 June 1912 – 5 January 1994), nicknamed Johnners, was a British cricket commentator, author, and television presenter. He was most prominently associated with the BBC during a career which lasted from 1946 until h ...

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English musician and founder of the Rolling Stones. Initially a slide guitarist, he went on to sing backing vocals and played a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones r ...

* Brian Keenan *

Brian Keith Robert Alba Keith (November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997), known professionally as Brian Keith, was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family ...

* Brian Kelly * Brian Kennedy * Brian Kim * Brian Lee * Brian Lenihan * Brian Lewis *

Brian MacMahon Brian MacMahon (23 August 1923 – 5 December 2007) was a British-born American epidemiologist who chaired the Department of Epidemiology of the Harvard School of Public Health from 1958 until 1988. Best known for his work on the epidemiology ...

Brian Magee Brian Magee (born 9 June 1975) is a Northern Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2012.. Retrieved 19 June 2016. He held the WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title in 2012, and the IBO title from 2001 to 2004. At regio ...

* Brian Marshall * Brian Martin *

Brian Mason Brian David Mason (born October 12, 1953) is a Canadian politician who was leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party from 2004 to 2014 and served the Minister of Transportation in Rachel Notley's NDP government. He also served as the Gover ...

Brian McBride Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former association football, soccer player who played as a forward (association football), forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham F.C., Fulham and Chicago Fire SC, Chicago Fire. He is the sixt ...

* Brian McFadden * Brian McLean * Brian Miller * Brian Moore * Brian Moran * Brian Murphy * Brian Myers * Brian O'Halloran * Brian O'Neill * Brian O'Sullivan *

Brian Plummer Brian Plummer, also known as David Brian Plummer (11 September 1936 – 12 September 2003), was a British writer, teacher and dog breeder. Background In 1977, Plummer appeared on Richard Whiteley's ''Calendar'' regional news programme, during ...

* Brian Reynolds * Brian Roberts * Brian Robertson *

Brian Savage Brian Arthur Savage (born February 24, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia F ...

Brian Schmidt Brian Paul Schmidt (born 24 February 1967) is an American Australian astrophysics, astrophysicist at the Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He was the Vice-Chancellor o ...

Brian Scott Brian Joseph Scott (born January 12, 1988) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. Racing career Beginnings Scott has been racing competitively since the age of 12. One of his early career highlights came at the 360 Nationals ...

* Brian Shaw *

Brian Simmons Brian Eugene Simmons (born June 21, 1975) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of North ...

* Brian Smith * Brian Smyth * Brian Stack * Brian Stafford * Brian Stewart * Brian Sullivan * Brian Thompson * Brian Thomson * Brian Tucker * Brian Turner * Brian Tyler * Brian Walsh * Brian White *

Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American journalist and television news anchor. He was a correspondent for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchorman, anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in ...

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...

Brian Wong Brian Wong (born April 14, 1991) is a Canadian Internet entrepreneur. In 2010, Wong co-founded Kiip (pronounced "keep"), a company offering a mobile app rewards platform through which computer game players would receive real-world rewards from b ...

* Brian Wood * Brian Wright * Brian Young *

Given name: individuals

* Brian Ah Yat (born 1975), American football player * Brian Alderson (footballer) (1950–1997), Scottish footballer *

Brian Aldiss Brian Wilson Aldiss (; 18 August 1925 – 19 August 2017) was an English writer, artist and anthology editor, best known for science fiction novels and short stories. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss, except for oc ...

(1925–2017), British author * Brian Asamoah (born 2000), American football player * Brian Asawa (1966–2016), Japanese American opera singer *

Brian Azzarello Brian Azzarello (born August 11, 1962) is an American comic book writer and screenwriter who first came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series ''100 Bullets'', published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo (DC Comics), Vertigo. ...

(born 1962), American comic book writer and screenwriter * Brian Bannister (born 1981), American baseball player and coach * Brian Barrett (born 1966), New Zealand former first-class cricketer * Brian Bailey (born 19??), Canadian fashion designer * Brian Bass (born 1982), American former professional baseball player * Brian Beaucage (1947–1991), Canadian gangster, outlaw biker and criminal * B. Brian Blair (born 1957), American retired professional wrestler and politician *

Brian Blessed Brian Blessed ( ; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor. He is known for his distinctive bushy beard, booming voice, and exuberant personality and performances. He portrayed PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars''; Augustus in the 1976 BBC television ...

(born 1937), English actor * Brian Bloom (born 1970), American actor and screenwriter * Brian Boitano (born 1963), American figure skater *

Brian Bollinger Brian Reid Bollinger (born November 21, 1968) is an American former professional American football, football player who was an offensive guard for three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selecte ...

(born 1968), American football player * Brian Bonsall (born 1981), American rock musician, singer, guitarist and former child actor * Brian Boobbyer (1928–2011), English rugby union player * Brian Borland, American football coach *

(941–1014), Irish king who overthrew the centuries-long domination of the Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill * Brian Bosworth (born 1965), American former football linebacker and actor * Brian Bothwell, former professional footballer *

Brian Bowman Brian Leslie Bowman (born July 22, 1946) is an American virtuoso euphonium artist and music professor who, among other things, held the principal euphonium chair and was a featured soloist with the premier concert bands of the United States Navy ...

(born 1946), American musician *

Brian Bowman (politician) Brian Thomas Douglas Bowman (born August 18, 1971) is a Canadians, Canadian politician, lawyer, and judge, who was the 43rd mayor of Winnipeg from 2014 to 2022. He was first elected in the 2014 Manitoba municipal elections, 2014 municipal elect ...

(born 1971), Canadian politician, lawyer, and judge * Brian Brain (1940–2023), English cricketer * Brian Branch (born 2001), American football player * Brian Brandt, American electrical engineer * Brian Brikowski (born 1989), American football defensive end and linebacker * Brian Broomell (born 1958), American football player * Brian Burrows (born 1988), American sport shooter * Brian Patrick Butler, American actor and filmmaker * Brian Cant (1933-2017), British actor and children's television presenter *

Brian Christopher Brian Christopher Lawler (January 10, 1972 – July 29, 2018) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best remembered for his career in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where he performed as "Too Sexy" Brian ...

(1972–2018), American professional wrestler * Brian Christopher (lacrosse) (born 1987), All American lacrosse player *

Brian Clough Brian Howard Clough ( ; 21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the Englis ...

(1935–2004), British football manager * Brian Colin (born 1956), American video-game designer, artist and animator *

Brian Conley Brian Paul Conley (born 7 August 1961) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Conley has been the host of '' The Brian Conley Show'', as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. In his 40+ ...

(born 1961), English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter *

Brian Connolly Brian Francis Connolly (5 October 1945 – 10 February 1997) was a Scottish singer-songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead singer of glam rock band Sweet between 1968 and 1979 and known for his charismatic stage presence and di ...

(1945–1997), Scottish singer-songwriter, musician and actor * Brian Cornell, American businessman * Brian Cosgrove (born 1934), English animator, designer, director, producer and sculptor * Brian Costello (born 1963), American professional wrestler *

Brian Cowen Brian Bernard Cowen (born 10 January 1960) is an Irish former politician who served as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil from 2008 to 2011. Cowen served as a TD for the constituency of Laois–Offaly from 1984 to 2011 and served in several ...

(born 1960), former

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

(Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland * Brian Culbertson (born 1973), American musician and producer *

Brian de la Puente Brian Loomis de la Puente (born May 13, 1985) is a former American football Center (American football), center. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. De la Puente was also a member of the Kansas City Chie ...

(born 1985), NFL football player *

Brian Dabul Brian Dabul (; born 24 February 1984) is an Argentine retired tennis player. He was ranked the No. 1 junior in the world in January 2002. His highest ranking in men's singles was No. 82 (9 March 2009), and his highest ranking in doubles was No. 7 ...

(born 1984), Argentine tennis player *

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (; born September 11, 1940) is an Americans, American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for work in the suspense, Crime film, crime, and psychological thriller genres. ...

(born 1940), American film director * Brian Deneke (1978–1997), American teenage punk musician * Brian Dennehy (1938–2020), American actor *

Brian Dietzen Brian Dietzen (born November 14, 1977) is an American television actor who has played the supporting role of List of NCIS characters#Jimmy Palmer, Dr. Jimmy Palmer on ''NCIS (TV series), NCIS'' since 2004. In 2012, he was promoted to a series regu ...

(born 1977), American actor * Brian Dowling (born 1978), Irish television presenter * Brian Dugan (born 1956), American convicted rapist and serial killer * Brian Draper (born 1990), one of two perpetrators of the Murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart * Brian Eley (1946–2022), British former Chess Champion and fugitive *

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

(born 1948), English electronic musician, music theorist and record producer * Brian Enos, American sport shooter *

Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein ( ; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was an English music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1961 until his death in 1967. Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put hi ...

(1934–1967), English businessperson, manager of The Beatles * Brian Fleury, American football coach and former player * Brian Folkerts (born 1990), American football player * Brian Friedman (born 1977), American dancer and choreographer * Brian Gaine, American football executive * Brian George (born 1952), British actor *

Brian Gill, Lord Gill Brian Gill, Lord Gill, KSG FRSE FRSAMD FRSCM (born 25 February 1942) is a retired Scottish judge and legal academic. Lord Gill was Lord President and Lord Justice General and held that position for three years from 2012 until 2015. His 2007 ...

, Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland * Brian Ginsberg (born 1966), American gymnast *

Brian Glover Brian Glover (2 April 1934 – 24 July 1997) was an English actor and writer. He worked as a teacher and professional wrestler before commencing an acting career which included films, many roles on British television and work on the stage. His ...

(1934–1997), English actor and writer * Brian Goodman (born 1963), American film director, television director, writer, and actor * Brian P. Goodman (1947–2013), Chairperson of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) *

Brian Gottfried Brian Edward Gottfried (born January 27, 1952) is an American retired tennis player who won 25 singles titles and 54 doubles titles during his professional career. He was the runner-up in singles at the 1977 French Open – Men's singles, 1977 F ...

(born 1952), American tennis player * Brian Gowins (born 1976), American football player * Brian Graden (born 1963), American television executive *

Brian Grazer Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated for four Acad ...

(born 1951), American Oscar-winning film and television producer * Brian Gutekunst (born 1973), American football executive * Brian Haley (born 1961), American actor and comedian * Brian Haner Sr. (born 1958), American musician * Brian Haner Jr. (born 1981), American guitarist, son of Haner Sr. * Brian Hebner, American former professional wrestling referee * Brian Heidik (born 1968), American actor, used car salesman, and television personality *

Brian Herbert Brian Patrick Herbert (born June 29, 1947) is an American author, known for his work on the ''Dune'' franchise, which was created by his father, Frank Herbert. Brian Herbert's novels include ''Sidney's Comet'', ''Prisoners of Arionn'', ''Man of ...

(born 1947), American author *

Brian Holland Brian Holland (born February 15, 1941) is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland, the songwriting and production team that was responsible for much of the Motown sound, and numerous hi ...

(born 1941), American songwriter and record producer * Brian Horwitz (nicknamed "The Rabbi"; born 1982), American major league baseball outfielder * Brian Hutton, Baron Hutton (1932–2020), British law lord and barrister * Brian Inglis (1916–1993), Irish journalist, historian, and television presenter, known for ''All Our Yesterdays'' * Brian Jeffriess, primary spokesperson for Australia's Southern bluefin tuna fishing and aquaculture industry * Brian Michael Jenkins (born 1942), U.S. terrorism expert * Brian Joo (born 1981), American-born Korean singer, former member of the R&B duo Fly to the Sky * Brian Jossie (born 1977), American professional wrestler performing under the ring name of ''Abraham Washington'' * Brian Joubert (born 1984), French figure skater and 2007 World Champion *

Brian Kemp Brian Porter Kemp (born November 2, 1963) is an American politician serving as the 83rd governor of Georgia since 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Kemp served as the state's 27th Georgia Secretary of Sta ...

(born 1963), American politician *

Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE. He is also known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...

(born 1979), American professional wrestler *

Brian Kerwin Brian Kerwin (born October 25, 1949) is an American actor who has starred in feature films, Broadway shows, and television series and movies. Life Kerwin was born in Chicago and raised in Flossmoor, Illinois. He has three siblings, Anne, Dennis, ...

(born 1949), American actor * Brian Knobbs (born 1964), American professional wrestler * Brian Lane (RAF officer) (1917–1942), English fighter pilot and flying ace of the Royal Air Force *

Brian Lara Brian Charles Lara, (born 2 May 1969) is a Trinidadian former international cricketer, widely renowned as one of the greatest Batting (cricket), batsmen of all time. He holds several cricketing records, including the record for the highest in ...

(born 1969), former West Indian cricketer * Brian Laudrup (born 1969), Danish footballer * Brian Laundrie (), American fugitive * Brian Leishman, Scottish politician *

Brian Levant Brian Michael Levant (born August 6, 1952) is an American filmmaker. Early life and career Born in Highland Park, Illinois to a Jewish family, Levant started his career in 1976 as a writer for the TV series ''Happy Days''. He also wrote for, ...

(born 1952), American filmmaker * Brian Lewerke (born 1996), American football player *

Brian Limond Brian Limond (born 20 October 1974), known as Limmy, is a Scottish comedian, author, and Twitch (service), Twitch Online streamer, streamer. While working as a website designer and Adobe Flash, Flash developer, Limmy began releasing comedy on ...

(born 1974), Scottish comedian * Brian Littrell (born 1975), member of the boy band, The Backstreet Boys * Brian Maher, American politician * Brian Masse (born 1968), Canadian politician * Brian Matusz (1987–2025), American professional baseball pitcher *

Brian May Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...

(born 1947), guitarist, songwriter, founding member of the band Queen * Brian McConaghy (born 1950), Canadian forensic scientist * Brian McDermott (murder victim) (born 1970), Irish murder victim * Brian McKeever (born 1979), Canadian cross-country skier and biathlete *

Brian McKnight Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. (born Brian Kelly McKnight; June 5, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, record producer, radio personality, and multi-instrumentalist. An Contemporary R&B, R&B performer, he is recognized for his strong ...

(born 1969) American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B musician * Brian McNamara, American actor * Brian Milligan (born 1982/1983), Northern Irish actor *Brian David Mitchell (born 1953), American criminal convicted of the

Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart Elizabeth Smart, Elizabeth Ann Smart, aged 14, was kidnapping, kidnapped on June 5, 2002, by Brian David Mitchell from her home in the Federal Heights, Salt Lake City, Federal Heights neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. She was held captive by ...

* Brian Mock (died 1992), American gay man and murder victim *

Brian Molko Brian Molko (born 10 December 1972) is a British-American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist of the band Placebo (band), Placebo. He is known for his nasal voice and high registered vocals, feminine/androgynous appearance ...

(born 1972), lead vocalist of the band Placebo * Brian Moorman (born 1976), American football player for the Buffalo Bills *

Brian Mullins Brian Mullins (27 September 1954 – 30 September 2022) was an Irish Gaelic football manager and player. He played football with his local club St Vincent's and was a senior member of the Dublin county team from 1974 until 1985. Mullins late ...

(1954–2022), Irish Gaelic football player and manager * Brian Mullins (hurler) (born 1978), Irish hurler *

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studi ...

(1939–2024), Prime Minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993 *

Brian Doyle-Murray Brian Murray (born October 31, 1945), better known by his stage name Brian Doyle-Murray, is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He has appeared with his younger brother, actor/comedian Bill Murray, in several films, including ''Caddy ...

(born 1945), American actor *

Brian Murray (actor) Brian Murray (given name, né Bell; 10 September 193720 August 2018) was a South African actor and theatre director who was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2004. Biography Murray was born Brian Bell in Johannesburg, the son ...

(1937–2018), South African actor * Brian Mustanski, American psychologist * Brian Odom (born 1981), American football coach *

Brian O'Driscoll Brian Gerard O'Driscoll (born 21 January 1979) is an Irish former professional rugby union player. He played at outside Centre (rugby union), centre for the Irish provincial team Leinster Rugby, Leinster and for Ireland national rugby union te ...

(born 1979), Irish rugby player * Brian O'Gallagher, Australian politician *

Brian O'Keefe Brian O'Keefe may refer to: * Brian O'Keefe (footballer) (born 1956), Australian rules footballer * Brian O'Keefe (baseball) (born 1993), American baseball catcher See also * Brian O'Keeffe (born 1977), Irish hurler {{Human name disambigua ...

(born 1956), Australian rules footballer *

Brian O'Keefe (baseball) Brian James O'Keefe (born July 15, 1993) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Kansas City Royals organization. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 7th round of the 2014 MLB draft. He has previously played in Major Lea ...

(born 1993), American baseball player * Brian O'Keeffe, Irish hurler * Brian Olinger (born 1983), American runner * Brian Orser (born 1961), Canadian figure skater * Brian Pattie (born 1975), American auto-racing crew chief *

Brian Paddick Brian Leonard Paddick, Baron Paddick (born 24 April 1958), is a British life peer and retired police officer. He was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the London mayoral elections of 2008 and of 2012, and until his retirement in May 2007 wa ...

(born 1958), British politician *

Brian Peaker Brian Ronald Peaker (born May 26, 1959 in London, Ontario) is a retired Rowing (sport), rower from Canada. He won the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the Men's Lightweight Coxless Fours, alongside Jeffrey Lay, Dave Boyes, and Gavin Ha ...

(born 1959), Canadian rower * Brian Peets (born 1956), American football player * Brian Percival, British film director * Brian Piccolo (1943–1970), American football player for the Chicago Bears and subject of TV movie ''

Brian's Song ''Brian's Song'' is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the life of Brian Piccolo ( James Caan), a Chicago Bears football player stricken with terminal cancer, focusing on his friendship with teammate Gale Sayers ( Billy Dee Williams) ...

'' *

Brian Pillman Brian William Pillman (May 22, 1962 – October 5, 1997) was an American professional wrestler and professional football player best known for his appearances in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme ...

(1962–1997), American professional wrestler and professional football player * Brian Pillman Jr. (born 1993), American professional wrestler * Brian Quinn (economist) (born 1936), Scottish economist and former football club chairman * Brian Quinn (soccer) (born 1960), Northern Irish-American soccer coach and former player * Brian Randle (born 1985), American basketball player * Brian Ransom (gridiron football) (born 1960), American player of gridiron football *

Brian Retterer Brian Retterer (born 1972) is a retired American swimmer specialising in freestyle and backstroke Backstroke or back crawl is one of the four Swimming (sport), swimming styles used in competitive events regulated by FINA, and the only one ...

(born 1972), American swimmer *

Brian Robbins Brian Robbins (born Brian Levine, November 22, 1963) is an American film producer, director, and executive. He is the Co-CEO of Paramount Global; President and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon; and Chief Content Offi ...

(born 1963), American media proprietor and film producer * Brian Ross (journalist) (born 1948), American investigative correspondent for ABC News * Brian Savoy (born 1992), Swiss basketball player * Brian Schneider (born 1976), American baseball player * Brian Serven (born 1995), American baseball player * Brian Siemann (born 1989), American wheelchair racer *

Brian Sims Brian Kendall Sims (born September 16, 1978) is an American politician, activist and attorney. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 182nd district from 2013 until 2022. ...

(born 1978), American politician, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives * Brian Skala (born 1981), American actor * Brian Snitker (born 1955), American baseball coach * Brian P. Stack (born 1966), American politician * Brian Stack (1935/1936–1984), Irish murder victim * Brian Stack (born 1964), American actor, comedian and writer *

Brian Stelter Brian Patrick Stelter (born September 3, 1985) is an American journalist best known as the former chief media correspondent for CNN and host of the CNN program ''Reliable Sources'', roles he held from 2013 to 2022. He returned to CNN in 2024. St ...

(born 1985), American journalist and television news correspondent * Brian Stephney (born 1983), Montserratian cricketer * Brian Sweeney (born 1974), American baseball player and coach * Brian Sweeney (sailor), Canadian sailor * Brian Teacher (born 1952), American tennis player * Brian Tichy (born 1968), American musician * Brian Thomas (rugby union) (1940–2012), Wales rugby union footballer * Brian Thomas (church artist), British artist * Brian Thomas Jr. (born 2002), American football player * Brian Trueman (1932-2024), British broadcaster, writer and voice actor *

Brian Tochi Brian Tochi (born Brian Keith Tochihara) is an American actor. During the late 1960s through much of the 1970s and 1980s, he was one of the most widely seen East Asian child actors working in U.S. television, appearing in various TV series and ...

, American actor * Brian Tucker (screenwriter), American film screenwriter * Brian Tyler (born 1972), American composer and musician * Brian Urlacher (born 1978), American football player for the Chicago Bears * Brian K. Vaughan (born 1976), American comic book and television writer * Brian Viloria (born 1980), American boxer * Brian Wallach (born 1980), American businessman and lawyer *Brian Warner (born 1969), American singer, better known by his stage name

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...

* Brian Wecht (born 1975), composer/producer of musical comedy duo, Ninja Sex Party * Brian Westbrook (born 1979), American football player for the Philadelphia Eagles * Brian Williamson (1945–2004), Jamaican gay rights activist *

(1942–2025), American singer-songwriter and co-founder of American rock band

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

Brian Yuzna Brian Yuzna is an American film producer, director, and writer. He is best known for his work in the science fiction and horror film genres. Yuzna began his career as a producer for several films by director Stuart Gordon, such as ''Re-Animator ...

, American producer, director, and writer

Fictional characters

* Brian, a character in the American 1983 TV miniseries V (1983) and ''

V The Final Battle ''V: The Final Battle'' (abbreviated as ''V:TFB'') is a 1984 American TV miniseries. It is a sequel to the 1983 miniseries ''V'' written by Kenneth Johnson about aliens known as "The Visitors" trying to take over Earth. Johnson parted way ...

'' * Brian, a character in the American 2001 thriller movie '' Good Neighbor'' * Brian Baker, a police officer on the HBO drama ''The Wire'' * Brian Cohen, main protagonist of ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'', played by

Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the Surreal humour, surrealist comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel (Monty Py ...

* Brian Connelly, a character played by

in the 1988 ''Superman 50th Anniversary'' movie * Brian Doheny (commonly referred to as BrianD), main protagonist of '' Video Game High School'' * Brian Fellow, animal enthusiast and main character of Saturday Night Live sketch, Brian Fellow’s Safari Planet * Brian Green, from the British TV show ''Torchwood'' *

on ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...

'', voiced by

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orvill ...

* Brian Kinney on ''Queer as Folk'' (US), played by Gale Harold * Brian Latham, a character in the 2006 superhero movie '' Lightspeed'' * Brian Johnson, main character in the 1985 film '' The Breakfast Club'' * Brian O'Conner in ''The Fast and the Furious'' series, played by

Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Paul Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gainin ...

* Brian Robles, a character in the 2022 Filipino TV series of '' Mars Ravelo's Darna'' * Brian Stills, a character in the 1981 American science fiction black comedy movie '' Modern Problems''

Media titles

Films and television shows which contain the name Brian include: * ''

'' (1971, 2001) * ''

Monty Python's Life of Brian ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (also known as ''Life of Brian'') is a 1979 British biblical black comedy film starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Micha ...

'' (1979) * ''

What About Brian ''What About Brian?'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J. J. Abrams' company Bad Robot. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a mid-season replacement and concluded on March ...

'', American TV series that began in 2006 * '' Burying Brian'', mini New Zealand TV series

References

{{given name, type=both English-language masculine given names Irish-language masculine given names English masculine given names Masculine given names Surnames of Irish origin French-language surnames