Brienne is a name of French origin, derived from the word "brien," which means "from the hill." It is also associated with the town of Brienne-le-Château in France. The name has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages and was traditionally given to girls. However, in recent years, it has also been used as a boy's name. In literature, Brienne of Tarth is a notable character from George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series and the HBO adaptation "Game of Thrones." Despite its historical roots, Brienne remains a unique and distinctive name choice today.
Based on the statistics provided, we can see that the name Brienne has seen varied popularity over the past few decades in the United States.
The name's peak of popularity was in 1979 with 122 births recorded during that year. This could indicate a trend or fashion at the time, as it is unusual for such a unique name to suddenly gain so much popularity within a single year.
However, after this peak, the number of babies named Brienne began to steadily decline over the following years. By the early 1980s, the number of annual births had decreased significantly, with only 62 births recorded in 1982.
This downward trend continued throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s, with the number of babies named Brienne remaining relatively low. The lowest point came in 2005 and 2007, with only 7 births each year.
Interestingly, starting from around 2014, there has been a slight increase in the popularity of the name Brienne once again. In 2015, there were 31 births recorded, which is significantly higher than any other year since 2009. This trend continued with 35 births in 2017 and 33 births each in 2018 and 2019.
Overall, while the name Brienne may not have maintained consistent popularity throughout its history in the United States, it has shown periods of significant popularity followed by periods of decline. Despite this, the name continues to be chosen for a small number of babies each year, indicating that there is still some appreciation for it among parents.