Brian
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Meaning | Hill, strong, noble, and high |
Brian is a male forename of Celtic Irish origin. Its original meaning is not known for certain but it is possibly related to the Old Celtic element bre, meaning hill, or by extension high and/or noble.[1]
One of the earliest persons to bring fame to this name was Brian Boru, an ancient Irish high king who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. His army was victorious in the Battle of Clontarf, but he himself was slain. The Irish O'Brien clan, one of the most common surnames in Ireland, takes their name from him.
Variants of the name include Briant, Brien, Brion, Bryan, Bryant, and Bryon.[2]
People
Some famous people and characters known as Brian include:
- Brian Blessed Actor
- Brian Bell (musician) (b.1968), member of American Rock group Weezer
- Brian Bóruma (c. 941; 23 April 1014), Irish king who overthrew the centuries-long domination of the Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill
- Brian Cowen (b.1960), current Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland.
- Brian Eno (b.1948), English electronic musician, music theorist and record producer
- Brian Epstein (1934-1967), English businessperson, manager of The Beatles.
- Brian Johnson, member and lead vocalist of the hard rock band, AC/DC
- Brian Johnston (1912-1994), British cricket commentator
- Brian Jones (1942-1969), founding member, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist in the English rock group The Rolling Stones
- Brian Joo (b.1981), American-born Korean singer, former member of the R&B duo Fly to the Sky
- Brian Laudrup (b.1969), former Danish international soccer player
- Brian Littrell (b.1975), member of the boy band, The Backstreet Boys
- Brian May (b.1947), famous guitarist from the band, Queen
- Brian Paddick (b. 1958), British politician
- Brian Peaker (born 1959), Canadian rower
- Brian Retterer (born 1972), American swimmer
- Brian Wilson (b.1942), member of American music group, The Beach Boys
Fictional and legendary
- Brian Pascual, the womanizer. Untamed and thought to be extinct.
- Brian, the nephew of Cadwallon, was a legendary 7th century British lord who wanted to see Briton rule restored; according to the account of Geoffrey of Monmouth, Brian killed the magician ally of the Saxon King Edwin while disguised as a monk.
- Brian Bedonde, a fictional character on the television series Fonejacker
- Brian Griffin, fictional cartoon dog on the television series Family Guy
- Brian Johnson, a fictional character in the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, played by Anthony Michael Hall
- Brian Krakow, a fictional character on the television series My So-Called Life,played by Devon Gummersall
- Brian Kinney, a fictional character on the television series Queer as Folk, played by Gale Harold.
Other uses
Some films and television shows which contain the name Brian include:
- Brian's Song (1971, 2001)
- Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
- What About Brian, television series that began in 2006
References
- ^ "Behind the Name". Retrieved 2005-06-05.
- ^ Noel Higgins & Jeanne Goldner, Names, Names, Names, A Book for You (Middletown, Connecticut: Weekly Reader Books, 1986), page 8-b.
See also
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