Boy's name
Brian
“BREE-an”
IPA: /bʲɾʲiən̪ˠ/
possibly 'noble' or 'high'; disputed
The story behind the name
Brian Bóruma, Brian Boru, rose from an obscure Munster dynasty to claim the high kingship of all Ireland and died victorious at Clontarf in 1014, praying in his tent. His name became so bound up with greatness that the O'Briens took it as their surname.
Where the name belongs
Famous people with this name
- Brian Cowen (born 1960) — Irish politician
- Brian Boru (AD 941–1014) — High King of Ireland
- Brian McFadden (born 1980) — Irish singer
- Brian Friel (1929–2015) — Irish dramatist, author and theatre director
- Brian Shawe-Taylor (1915–1999) — racecar driver
Irish people with an English Wikipedia article whose given name is recorded as Brian on Wikidata; descriptions from Wikidata.
Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z