Bryan

Bryan is the Y-spelling of Brian, and it has developed a following of its own since splitting off in the mid-twentieth century. Both trace back to the Irish high king Brian Boru and the old Celtic root for "noble" or "high." The Y variant peaked in the 1970s and 1980s, riding the wave of Bryan Adams anthems and Bryan Ferry's urbane cool, and has since eased to a selective 305. It is also the dominant spelling among Spanish-speaking American families, which has kept it steadily in the Top 400 for decades. One compact syllable, BRY-un, a close cousin with its own signature.