This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Brian m. Of uncertain origin, possibly related to Proto-Brythonic *brigonos 'high, noble'.

The name of a 10th-11th C high king of Ireland.

England
Latin
1185x1186 Brien' (acc) PR-XXXVI p. 15; 1189 Brianus (nom) GASurv p. 165; 1194 Brianus (nom) RotCur-vol1 p. 6; 1222 Brianus (nom) StPaulDom p. 41, briani (gen) ibid. p. 39; 1530 Brianno (dat) LIWill-III p. 32; 1530/31 Briano (dat) ibid. p. 94, Brianus (nom) ibid. p. 95; 1558 Bryanni (gen) Reg-KirkElla p. 1, Bryanus (nom) ibid. p. 1; 1562 Bryani (gen) ibid. p. 2; 1564/5 Bryani (gen) ibid. p. 5; 1565/6 Bryanus (nom) ibid. p. 5; 1589 Briani (gen) RegPat p. 37; 1592/3 Briani (gen) ibid. p. 111; 1592 Briani (gen) ibid. p. 39; 1594 Briani (gen) ibid. p. 40; 1596 Briani (gen) ibid. p. 41; 1598 Briani (gen) ibid. p. 42
Anglo-French
1245–1250[1586] Brian Glover 137
Early Modern English
1530 Brian LIWill-III p. 22, Bryan ibid. p. 5, bryan PP-HenV p. 19; 1556/57 Bryan PRThirsk p. 1; 1567 Bryant BEmar-vol2 p. 95; 1569 Bryan SurMus II; 1582 Brian StAnthonlin p. 29; 1583/4 Bryan SurMus p. 136; 1583 Bryan ibid. p. 185, Bryann HAmar-vol9 p. 68; 1587 Bryan RegPat p. 3; 1588/9 Brian StMary-Ke p. iv; 1589 Brian RegPat p. 37; 1590 Bryan BEmar-vol1 p. 14; 1598 Bryane RegPat p. 5
France
Latin
1258 Briani (gen) ArrestReg-volI I, Pentecost, Brianum (acc) ibid. I, Pentecost, Brianus (nom) ibid. I, Pentecost
Ireland
Latin
fin12thC Brian (nom) MunDocIr III, p. 24
Early Modern English
1591 Breine IORCHAR-II p. xxi, Brenie ibid. p. xxi, Brian ibid. p. xxi, Brien ibid. p. xxi, Bryan ibid. p. xxii
Cite as: A. Brown, S.L. Uckelman. "Brian". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2021, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2021/1/name/Brian.