NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Bryony

A feminine name of Greek origin relating to an edible plant.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Bryony is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Bryony popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1198, with 28 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 362 births.

This profile covers 3,167 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 8% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 3,583 living people in the UK are called Bryony. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Bryony ranked #1198 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 28 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 362 girls were registered as Bryony.
  • Bryony ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #439 in 2008.
  • About 3,583 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bryony as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1198

2024

Births in 2024

28

Latest year

Peak year

1996

362 births

Estimated living

3,583

2026

Meaning

What does Bryony mean?

The name Bryony has its origins in the Greek word "bryon," which means "a type of wild vine or climbing plant." This name first appeared in England during the Middle Ages and was derived from the plant's name, which was likely given due to its resemblance to the bryony vine.

In the 16th century, the name Bryony was mentioned in several English literary works, including those by the playwright William Shakespeare. Notably, Shakespeare used the name in his play "Cymbeline," where it was given to a character described as a "banished lady."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bryony dates back to the late 16th century. A woman named Bryony Pierson was born in England around 1595. She was a notable figure in her time and was known for her work as a midwife and herbalist.

In the 17th century, Bryony Vaughan was a Welsh poet and writer who lived from 1619 to 1669. She was known for her collection of poems titled "Poems by the Most Deservedly Admired Mrs. Katherine Philips, the Matchless Orinda," which was published in 1667.

Another notable figure with the name Bryony was Bryony Lavery, an English playwright, and screenwriter born in 1947. She is best known for her plays "Frozen" and "Ophelia," which have been widely performed and acclaimed.

Bryony Frost, born in 1995, is a contemporary figure who has made her mark as a successful British jockey. She became the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 race at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019, riding the horse Frodon to victory in the Ryanair Chase.

Lastly, Bryony Gordon is a contemporary British journalist and author born in 1980. She is known for her work as a columnist for The Telegraph and her memoir "Mad Girl," which details her struggles with mental health and addiction.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Bryony over time

The chart below shows babies named Bryony registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Bryony, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 28 births in 2024, compared with 362 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Bryony
091181272362199620102024

Decades

Bryony by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bryony was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1273 133 5
2010s #949 411 10
2000s #352 1,309 10
1990s #141 1,314 4

Geography

Where Bryony is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Bryony. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Bryony ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #439 in 2008.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Bryony in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#749 in 2023

44 years of NRS records, 432 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#439 in 2008

3 years of NISRA records, 9 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Bryony

  • Bryony Smith

    cricketer

    English cricketer

    1997-

  • Bryony Pitman

    archer

    British archer

    1997-

  • Bryony Page

    trampoline gymnast

    British trampolinist

    1990-

  • Bryony Seth

    actor; accountant

    British actress

    1990-

  • Bryony Rovegno

    basketball player

    Gibraltarian basketball player (born 1984)

    1984-

  • Bryony Hannah

    actor

    English actress

    1984-

  • Bryony Shaw

    windsurfer

    British windsurfer

    1983-

  • Bryony Afferson

    actor

    British actor and musician

    1983-

Related

Names similar to Bryony

FAQ

Bryony: questions and answers

How popular is the name Bryony in the UK right now?

In 2024, Bryony was ranked #1198 for girls in England and Wales, with 28 births registered.

When was Bryony most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 362 babies registered as Bryony in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Bryony?

A feminine name of Greek origin relating to an edible plant.

How many people are called Bryony in the UK?

A total of 3,167 babies have been registered as Bryony across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 432 more in Scotland and 9 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Bryony most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Bryony ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #439 in 2008. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.