Brian 3173243 226099583 2008-07-16T20:40:00Z 216.36.166.182 words {{Infobox Given Name Revised | name = Brian | image= | imagesize= | caption= | pronunciation= | gender = Male | meaning = Hill, strong, noble, and high | region = | origin = | related names = | footnotes = }} '''Brian''' is a male forename of [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] [[Ireland|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.<ref>{{cite web |title= Behind the Name |url= http://www.behindthename.com/php/search.php?terms=Brian/ |accessdate=2005-06-05 }}</ref> 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.<ref>Noel Higgins & Jeanne Goldner, ''Names, Names, Names, A Book for You'' (Middletown, Connecticut: Weekly Reader Books, 1986), page 8-b.</ref> Some famous people and characters known as Brian include: * 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 Bóruma]] (c. 941; 23 April 1014), an Irish king who overthrew the centuries-long domination of the Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill * [[Brian Eno]], an English electronic musician, music theorist and record producer * [[Brian Griffin]], fictional cartoon dog on the television series ''[[Family Guy]]'' * [[Brian Johnson]], member and lead vocalist of the hard rock band, [[AC/DC]] * Brian Johnson, a fictional character in the 1985 film ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'', played by [[Anthony Michael Hall]] * [[Brian Jones]], a founding member, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist in the English rock group [[The Rolling Stones]] * [[Brian Krakow]], a fictional character on the television series ''[[My So-Called Life]]'',played by [[Devon Gummersall]] * [[Brian Littrell]], member of the boy band, [[The Backstreet Boys]] * [[Brian May]], a famous guitarist from the band, Queen * [[Brian Wilson]], member of American music group, [[The Beach Boys]] * [[Brian Bell (musician)]], member of American Rock group [[Weezer]] * Brian Charlot a kid * Brian Denton a better kid 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== {{Reflist}} ==See also== * [[Special:Allpages/Brian|Articles beginning with "Brian"]] * [[Brian Boru]] * [[Bryan]] * [[Bryant]] * [[Brianna]] [[Category:Irish given names]] [[de:Brian]] [[fr:Brian]] [[ja:ブライアン]] [[pl:Brajan]] [[sv:Brian]]