Brian
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2008-07-16T20:40:00Z
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{{Infobox Given Name Revised
| name = Brian
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| gender = Male
| meaning = Hill, strong, noble, and high
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'''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]]
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