Briar
Modern use of the English word for a thorny shrub, from Old English brer. It is familiar from Briar Rose, an English name for the Sleeping Beauty tale.
Briar in 2025
Briar was given to 1,175 babies in the United States in 2025 — 397 boys and 778 girls, making it the 563rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 2,822 babies born.
The history of Briar
Briar reached its highest point in 2025, when 1,175 babies were given the name, ranking 563rd that year.
Across the 55 years of records since 1971, 13,349 babies have been named Briar. Half of them were born before 2018, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Alpha.
Briar by decade
| Decade | Babies named Briar | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 81 | 6,795 |
| 1980s | 85 | 8,048 |
| 1990s | 928 | 2,338 |
| 2000s | 1,710 | 2,107 |
| 2010s | 4,715 | 765 |
| 2020s | 5,830 | 563 |
Where Briar is heading
Briar has risen 118% over the past decade, from 539 babies in 2015 to 1,175 in 2025.
Names like Briar
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Briar.