English

Alternative forms

• Bryan
• Bryon

Proper noun

Brian

1. A male given name.
   • 1865 Charlotte Eliza L. Riddell: Maxwell Drewitt. Tinsley Brothers, London 1865. page 255-256:

     "What the deuce is their fancy for calling the young beggar Brian?" he inquired."Is it Brian Boroimhe they have gone back to, or is it some of her people, or what?"

     "There was a good Drewitt once," answered Wilhelmina, "- - - and his name was Brian. - - - And Nannie told her, too, how a child always strains after the person it is called after, and how luck follows names, and worked her up to such a pit finally, that nothing would do her but the young gentleman must be called Brian and accordingly Brian he is - Brian Archibald. It is not an easy name to make fun out of; so all I can do is to call him Brin Baldy.

   • 2008 Phill Young: FarArc. Author House 2008. ISBN 1434378365 page 145:

     Why oh why had his parents even considered Brian? Brian is someone who works in a hardware shop or fixes the U bend. What chance did Sir Lovesdaslutalot have in life with a name like Brian? You can't even shorten Brian to Bri without it sounding like a kind of cheese!

Usage notes

After the Middle Ages, mostly used in Ireland; and again popular in all English-speaking countries in the 20th century.

Related terms

• Bri
• Bryant
• (feminine forms): Briana, Brianna, Brianne

Anagrams

• abrin
• bairn
• brain
• riban

Danish

Etymology

Borrowing from English Brian in the 20th century, ultimately from Irish.

Proper noun

Brian

1. A male given name.

References

• Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: 22 165 males with the given name Brian have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005, with the frequency peak in the 1970s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

Faroese

Etymology

From English Brian, (possibly via Danish Brian), ultimately from Irish Brian.

Proper noun

Brian m

1. A male given name.

Usage notes

• son of Brian: Briansson
• daughter of Brian: Briansdóttir

Declension

Irish

Etymology

Uncertain; possibly a borrowing from Proto-Brythonic *brigonos ‎(“high, noble”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bʲɾʲiən̪ˠ]

Proper noun

Brian m ‎(genitive Briain)

1. A male given name

Derived terms

• Ó Briain, Ní Bhriain ‎(“O'Brien”)

Mutation

References

• "Brian" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

English

Verb

brian ‎(third-person singular simple present brians, present participle brianing, simple past and past participle brianed)

1. (dialectal, Northern England) To keep fire at the mouth of (as of an oven), to give light or to preserve heat.

Related terms

• brand

Anagrams

• abrin
• bairn
• brain
• riban