Bryant
Bryant Origin and Meaning
Bryant has a longer history as a first name in the US than its father name Brian, ranking among the Top 1000 since the list began in 1880 while Brian only jumped on in 1925.
That may be because the Vikings, the Bretons, and the English turned it into a surname from ancient times, when the high king Brian Boru ruled Ireland in 1002. But native Irish names like Brian were banned in Ireland for centuries during British rule, until the Irish war for independence in 1916 restored them to use.
The early 20th century saw a huge wave of Irish immigration to the US, and after the First World War, Irish immigrants began using Irish names like Brian and Kevin, propelling them up the US charts.
Bryant never hit the heights of Brian, which was a Top 10 name throughout the 1970s, and now seems to be falling out of favor more quickly. Bryant has been on a steep downward slide for several decades, with a brief upward blip following basketball star Kobe Bryant's tragic death in 2020.
In New York it's also associated with fashionable Bryant Park, named for editor William Cullen Bryant, and in Alabama with University of Alabama football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
Bryant Rank in US Top 1000
Bryant Popularity
20 Names Similar to Bryant
Famous People Named Bryant
- Bryant Charles GumbelAmerican television journalist and sportscaster
- Bryant Douglas McKinnieAmerican NFL football player
- (Bryant) Winfield Culberson DunnAmerican politician; 43rd Governor of Tennessee
- Bryant Kevin DunstonJr., American,Armenian basketball player
- Bryant Lee MixAmerican NFL football player
- Bryant McFaddenAmerican NFL player
- Bryant ReevesAmerican basketball player
- Bryant Youngformer American football defensive tackle
- Bryant Eslavafamous photographer
Bryant in Pop Culture
- Bryant Parklandmark of New York City