The name Brianna is from Celtic, Gaelic and Irish origin meaning ‘high, nobled and exalted’. It has also been said to mean ‘strong’. Brianna is a contemporary feminine form of the Irish language masculine name Brian and has been and is still found occasionally in English since the 16th century. In the 1990 US Census, Brianna ranked as the 738th most popular girls name out of 4,276 and it has become more and more popular in recent years. Various spellings of the name include Bryanna, Breanne, Brianne and Brina.
Famous people with the name, spelt as Brianna, include actress Brianna Brown, American long jumper Brianna Glenn, Canadian journalist Brianna Goldbery, model Brianna Frost Hogan, CNN correspondent Brianna Keilar and actress Brianna McConnell. The alternative Brianne is the given name for model and actress Brianne Davis, Irish-American cinematographer Brianne Murphy and actresses Brianne Leary, Brianne Moncrief, Brianne Prather, Brianne Siddall and Brianne Tju. Well-known people with the spelling Briana include singer Briana Corrigan, American Idol contestants Briana Davis and Briana Ramirez-Rial, actress and dancer Briana Evigan, American singer-songwriter Briana Scott and soccer player Briana Scurry.
Its male counterpart ‘Brian’ is a name of Irish and Breton origin. It is common within English speaking countries and is also derived from the Celtic word meaning ‘high’ or ‘noble’. The element ‘bre’ of the name means ‘hill’, something that could be used to mean ‘eminence’ or ‘exalted one’. The name is particularly popular in Ireland due to Brian Boru, a 10th century king of Ireland. During the Middle Ages the name was popular in East Anglia as the name became introduced to the country by the Norman Conquest. The name Brian is also used as a surname in an English and Irish variant spelling of Bryan. Typically this surname traces back etymologically the same way as the given name. However it can also be used as a French surname, in these cases it is derived from the Old Occitan word ‘brian’, meaning ‘maggot’ and is used as a nickname.
Famous people with the name, spelt as Brianna, include actress Brianna Brown, American long jumper Brianna Glenn, Canadian journalist Brianna Goldbery, model Brianna Frost Hogan, CNN correspondent Brianna Keilar and actress Brianna McConnell. The alternative Brianne is the given name for model and actress Brianne Davis, Irish-American cinematographer Brianne Murphy and actresses Brianne Leary, Brianne Moncrief, Brianne Prather, Brianne Siddall and Brianne Tju. Well-known people with the spelling Briana include singer Briana Corrigan, American Idol contestants Briana Davis and Briana Ramirez-Rial, actress and dancer Briana Evigan, American singer-songwriter Briana Scott and soccer player Briana Scurry.
Its male counterpart ‘Brian’ is a name of Irish and Breton origin. It is common within English speaking countries and is also derived from the Celtic word meaning ‘high’ or ‘noble’. The element ‘bre’ of the name means ‘hill’, something that could be used to mean ‘eminence’ or ‘exalted one’. The name is particularly popular in Ireland due to Brian Boru, a 10th century king of Ireland. During the Middle Ages the name was popular in East Anglia as the name became introduced to the country by the Norman Conquest. The name Brian is also used as a surname in an English and Irish variant spelling of Bryan. Typically this surname traces back etymologically the same way as the given name. However it can also be used as a French surname, in these cases it is derived from the Old Occitan word ‘brian’, meaning ‘maggot’ and is used as a nickname.
