Given name
Brianna
“from the high hill; one who ascends”
In Irish use, Brianna carries the interpretation “from the high hill; one who ascends.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Irish use, Brianna carries the interpretation “from the high hill; one who ascends.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Irish.
How it developed
Brianna is used as a feminine counterpart of Brian.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1963. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Brianna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 265,237
- 438 boys · 264,799 girls
- Most popular year
- 2000
- 12,898 babies
- 2025
- 1,372
- #222 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −29%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,372 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 222 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 29.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 12,880 in 2000. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (183). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 221,271 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Brianna’s family of names
In English usage, Brianna has a diminutive in BRI. Brianna is a feminine form of Brian. In English usage, Brianna has a related form in Briana.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 38
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Briellevariant
- Brynnvariant
- Brianavariant · English
- Briavariant
- Brynvariant
- Bryannavariant · English
- Breannavariant · English
- Breevariant
Show 30 moreShow fewer
- Breavariant
- Brynnevariant
- Brievariant
- Bryanavariant
- Briannevariant
- Brynnavariant
- Breanavariant
- Briandavariant
- Bridiminutive · English
- Breonnavariant
- Breannvariant
- Brinavariant
- Breannevariant
- Brenvariant
- Briennevariant
- Briahnavariant · English
- Briannahvariant
- Briannvariant
- Breonavariant
- Breeannavariant
- Breeanavariant
- Brynnanvariant
- Briannonvariant
- Brynavariant
- Bryannevariant
- Bryannvariant
- Briennavariant
- Briannnalikely variant
- Brynellevariant
- Brennevariant
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Brianna
- Brianna HildebrandAmerican actress (born 1996 or 1997)
- Brianna Rollins-McNealAmerican track and field athleteborn 1991
- Brie BellaAmerican professional wrestler (born 1983)
- Brianna ThrossellAustralian swimmerborn 1996
- Brianna BrownAmerican actressborn 1979
- Brianna DeckerAmerican women's ice hockey playerborn 1991
- Brianna WuAmerican video game developerborn 1977
- Brianna StubbsBritish rowerborn 1991
- Brianna GlennAmerican long jumperborn 1980
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Brianna, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kiana
“from an ancient family” · “of an ancient family”
>99% girls
McKenna
“the son of Kenna; to ascend”
>99% girls
Cassidy
“curly-haired girl” · “a clever man”
7% boys · 93% girls
Keira
“little dark-haired one” · “having dark features; the little dark one”
>99% girls
Kiera
“little dark-haired one” · “having dark features; the little dark one”
>99% girls
Catriona
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Caitlyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Keara
“little dark-haired one”
>99% girls