Brilliana

BRILL-ee-ah-nuh; BRILL-ee-ann-uh

Invented name, Celtic, English

"from Brill; from the hunting preserve; brilliant"

Brilliana Origin and Meaning

The name Brilliana is a girl's name meaning "from Brill; from the hunting preserve; brilliant".

A word-adjacent name, reminiscent of brilliant and brilliance, Brilliana is older than you might be thinking. It was coined by Lord Conway back in the late 16h century for his daughter, Lady Brilliana Harley, who went on to become a notable English letter-writer, fluent in multiple languages.

To invent the name, it is believed Lord Conway took inspiration from a historic seaport in the Netherlands, Brielle, or Brill as it is known in English, where he was the governor at the time. It is therefore a topographical name, the -ian denoting a resident of a place, combined with the feminine -a suffix, as in the case of Luciana, for example.

In the contemporary world, it may well be viewed simply as a play on the word "brilliant", following examples such as Gloriana. Actress Brilliana Arfira is a more recent bearer.