The name Bryant is of English origin and has a rich history behind it. It comes from the Old English word "brīht" which means bright or famous. The name was originally used as a surname, referring to someone who had a bright complexion or hair color.
Over time, Bryant evolved from being primarily a surname into a popular given name for boys. Today, Bryant is often associated with notable figures such as the American basketball player Kobe Bryant and former US President James Buchanan. However, its use predates these individuals by centuries.
In literature, the name Bryant appears in works like "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, where one of the characters is named Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale Bryant. This further demonstrates that the name has been present in English-speaking culture for quite some time.
While the meaning behind Bryant is straightforward - bright or famous - it's important to note that names can take on additional meanings based on their bearers' actions and achievements throughout history. Therefore, while Bryant's original meaning is clear, its cultural significance may vary depending on who has carried this name throughout history.
The given statistics represent the number of births with the name Bryant in the United States from 1880 to 2023. Over this period, the name Bryant has seen fluctuations in popularity.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the number of babies named Bryant ranged from a low of 5 births in 1883 to a high of 62 births in 1915. The years around World War I saw an increase in popularity for the name, with peaks in 1918 (82 births) and 1920 (105 births).
The post-war period up until the 1940s showed steady growth, with a significant spike in 1956 (248 births), indicating that the name Bryant started to gain more traction during this time. This trend continued throughout the 1950s and 1960s, culminating in a peak of 734 births in 1969.
The popularity of the name Bryant reached its zenith in the late 1980s to early 1990s, with record-breaking numbers: 1498 births in 1987, 1714 births in 1988, and 1737 births in 1989. This period marked the name Bryant's highest point of popularity in U.S. history.
However, since then, the name Bryant has experienced a decline in popularity. After peaking at nearly 2000 births per year in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the number of babies named Bryant has steadily decreased. In recent years, the number of births with the name Bryant has been around half of what it was during its peak popularity.
In total, from 1880 to 2023, there have been 51,370 births in the United States with the name Bryant. This statistic provides insight into the shifting trends and long-term popularity of the name Bryant among parents in the United States over more than a century.