Briar
Boy name · #687 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Briar? In official American birth records, Briar has been tracked continuously since 1971, giving it 54 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 397 baby boys were named Briar, placing it at #687 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1006, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,534 boys born in 2025 was named Briar.
Babies named Briar per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 54-year story
Briar first appears in the Social Security records in 1971, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 405 babies and a rank of #671. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Briar against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Briar in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Briar is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Briar will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Briar is most common
Geography matters for names, and Briar is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Briar is most common in WV (2.4 per 1,000), IA (1.3 per 1,000), AR (1.3 per 1,000), LA (0.8 per 1,000), MO (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Briar is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Briar
Statistically, parents drawn to Briar tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Bear, Bridger, Bryer, Jamir, and Zahir.
BearBridgerBryerJamirZahirCedarZamirSamir
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Briar | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 397 | #686 |
| 2024 | 387 | #698 |
| 2023 | 405 | #671 |
| 2022 | 347 | #741 |
| 2021 | 364 | #714 |
| 2020 | 318 | #756 |
| 2019 | 302 | #775 |
| 2018 | 278 | #809 |
| 2017 | 244 | #882 |
| 2016 | 203 | #1006 |
| 2015 | 203 | #1006 |
| 2014 | 203 | #1008 |
| 2013 | 161 | #1128 |
| 2012 | 189 | #1030 |
| 2011 | 172 | #1082 |
| 2010 | 173 | #1105 |
| 2009 | 138 | #1272 |
| 2008 | 152 | #1175 |
| 2007 | 139 | #1263 |
| 2006 | 132 | #1265 |
| 2005 | 117 | #1302 |
| 2004 | 125 | #1216 |
| 2003 | 132 | #1141 |
| 2002 | 101 | #1315 |
| 2001 | 107 | #1242 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Briar?
In official American birth records, the name Briar first appeared in 1971 (over 54 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 54 years.
Is Briar a popular boy name?
Briar ranked #687 among boys in 2025 with 397 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1006.
When was the name Briar most popular?
Briar peaked in 2023, when 405 American boys received the name (ranked #671 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Briar?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,534 newborn American boys was named Briar. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.