Briony

BRY-uh-nee

Spelling variation of Bryony, English, Greek

"to sprout, to swell"

Briony Origin and Meaning

The name Briony is a girl's name of English origin meaning "to sprout, to swell".

Briony may be the variation and Bryony the original, but many parents will see this as the more authentic-feeling version of this attractive botanical name. Melodic and bright, it was once a Top 400 name in the UK back in the 90s but has since fallen out of favor, as has Bryony.

The name of a vine once used for medicinal purposes, Briony is derived from the Greek bryo meaning "to swell, sprout, grow", likely in reference to the plants ability to climb. As such, Briony isn't related to the similar sounding Brian, though it could nevertheless make an honor name for one.

A literary choice, Briony appears in Ian McEwan's popular novel, Atonement, in which the young, imaginative Briony Tallis sets the plot in motion. In the screen adaptation, she was played by Saoirse Ronan, for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

In the most recent stats, no girls were called Briony (or Bryony) in the US, while in the UK, just over 30 babies were given the names collectively. With potential nicknames Bonny, Brie, or Bee, Briony could make an unexpected yet familiar option.

Briony Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 875 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Briony

• 875 Nameberry 2025

20 Names Similar to Briony

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Briony.

• Iona
• Leonie
• Bryony
• Tamsin
• Alba
• Este
• Esmé
• Romilly
• Anais
• Bronwen
• Clea
• Fia
• Saskia
• Maris
• Margaux
• Esti
• Veda
• Thora
• Manon
• Neve

Famous People Named Briony

• Briony Behets Australian actress
• Briony Cole Australian Olympic diver
• Briony McRoberts English actress
• Briony Stewart Australian novelist and illustrator
• Briony Williams Australian actress

The name Briony in Pop Culture

• Briony Tallis character in Ian McEwan's "Atonement"
• Briony Campbell character on British soap "EastEnders"
• Briony Eddon character in Tad William's "Shadowmarch"