Briar Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity
Briar is used for both girls and boys. The statistics below show this exact spelling in official U.S. records.
How Do You Spell Briar?
Briar is spelled B-R-I-A-R. The name has 5 letters.
Briar at a Glance
- Usage
- Used for both girls and boys
- Meaning
- Briar literally means “a thorny patch” or “a shrub with thorns.”
- Origin
- Briar may derive from Old English or Middle English terms referring to woody, thorny shrubs.
- Pronunciation
- BRY-er · 2 syllables
Briar Popularity in 2025
Rank#400
Recorded Births778
Rank#686
Recorded Births397
- Girls usage rose 122 places to #400 and recorded 189 more births compared with 2024.
- Boys usage rose 12 places to #686 and recorded 10 more births compared with 2024.
Figures reflect this exact spelling in the latest available U.S. Social Security Administration records. See the complete year-by-year trend.
What Does the Name Briar Mean?
Briar literally means “a thorny patch” or “a shrub with thorns.”
Origin: Briar may derive from Old English or Middle English terms referring to woody, thorny shrubs.
How Do You Pronounce Briar?
PronunciationBRY-er
Syllables2
What Is the History of the Name Briar?
- History
- The name Briar has appeared in various English-language texts and has been used as a given name in recent decades, particularly in English-speaking countries.
Briar Popularity by Year
The table below shows the most recent available records for this exact spelling from 2014 through 2025. Use the full history page to explore every recorded year.
| Year | Usage Category | Recorded Births | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Girls | 778 | #400 |
| 2025 | Boys | 397 | #686 |
| 2024 | Girls | 589 | #522 |
| 2024 | Boys | 387 | #698 |
| 2023 | Girls | 550 | #549 |
| 2023 | Boys | 405 | #671 |
| 2022 | Girls | 579 | #534 |
| 2022 | Boys | 347 | #741 |
| 2021 | Girls | 597 | #516 |
| 2021 | Boys | 364 | #714 |
| 2020 | Girls | 519 | #567 |
| 2020 | Boys | 318 | #756 |
| 2019 | Girls | 529 | #578 |
| 2019 | Boys | 302 | #775 |
| 2018 | Girls | 422 | #687 |
| 2018 | Boys | 278 | #809 |
| 2017 | Girls | 397 | #722 |
| 2017 | Boys | 244 | #882 |
| 2016 | Girls | 355 | #801 |
| 2016 | Boys | 203 | #1,006 |
| 2015 | Girls | 336 | #835 |
| 2015 | Boys | 203 | #1,006 |
| 2014 | Girls | 158 | #1,436 |
| 2014 | Boys | 203 | #1,008 |
When Was Briar Most Popular?
Peak years are based on the highest recorded birth totals for this exact spelling and usage category. They are ordered by birth count, not chronologically.
2025 · Girls
778 recorded births
National rank #400
2021 · Girls
597 recorded births
National rank #516
2024 · Girls
589 recorded births
National rank #522
2022 · Girls
579 recorded births
National rank #534
Where Briar Ranked Highest in 2025
State rankings are calculated separately for girls and boys within each state. The SSA omits state-level names recorded fewer than five times, so low visible counts can still represent a relatively high state rank.
Top States for Girls
| State | Rank | Recorded Births |
|---|---|---|
| SD | #73 | 12 |
| ND | #101 | 9 |
| IA | #106 | 29 |
| NH | #121 | 10 |
| MT | #168 | 6 |
| NE | #169 | 13 |
| KS | #172 | 19 |
| ID | #193 | 11 |
Top States for Boys
| State | Rank | Recorded Births |
|---|---|---|
| WV | #127 | 15 |
| ND | #191 | 6 |