Briar

Lovely, it works well on either gender, but I prefer it on girls.

I've always liked this name so much, even when I first heard it. Maybe it was the nature-y meaning. This is one of the few names that sounds truly neither feminine nor masculine to me. Nice name and I absolutely love it :)

Briar is a beautiful name for both boys and girls. It is fine to be named after a "thorny" bush, because thorns indicate flaws, which all people have -- trust me, I've got millions of 'em. Like I said earlier, if you're anything like a flower, you have thorns, which makes you special in your own way.

---

It's not related to Brian, either.

R-ending names sound quite masculine. I don't care for it on a girl.

My name is Briar and I'm a girl. I've always loved my name, and as a little girl I enjoyed being named after a Disney princess although that wasn't my parents' intention. I have met a few others with my name, mostly boys, but they are normally spelled Bryar or Breyer. I'm constantly being complemented on my name, I don't think anyone has ever made fun of me for it either. The only downsides I have found are that one: I can't really get anything personalized unless it's a special order and two: Sometimes it gets misheard and I'm called Brian by mistake. My middle name is Paige, not Rose. People always think my middle name is Rose, but I'm kind of thankful it isn't. Briar Paige suits me much better anyways :) There aren't too many nicknames for Briar which is kind of sad, the only nickname I've gotten that actually stemmed from my name is "Briar Patch". I understand I was named after a thorny weed, but whenever I see that weed I get excited! I just find it amusing to say "Look at all the briars!" My parents always told me that my name meant "thorny rose" so I wasn't upset by the fact that I was named after a "Thorny bush" but, it kind of does mean thorny rose, so they weren't even lying. If you want to name your child this, go right ahead I 10/10 recommend this name!

Briar is good for a middle name for both genders. As a first name? No. I dislike it on either.

I like Briar. I like it a lot more for a girl though.

One of the few plant/flower names that fits way better on a boy. It is even similar to Brian with only one letter in difference. R and n can get considered as each other. BRIAN however has a softer soft and is masculine, how Briar can be feminine then. You can see comments saying 'You must use a soft middle name to make it balanced'. They know it has a way harsh sound with it and over-tough to be used for a girl. It can't be a girl name only because it's used as a Disney princess' first name. I guess other variations could work better because most people would think it is Brian. So Bryar, Bryer, Brier work better.

---

Even BLAIR is masculine too. But Blaire is unisex and both GIRLY and BOYISH, more girly btw. Cuz it's similar to Claire.

I'm pretty sure the only thing that makes people think it's a girly name is that idiot rubbish cartoon 'Sleeping Beauty'. They ignore the fact that this name is 99% similar to Brian which is a strong boy name and still say it sounds feminine to me. What da fok? Guess what. It's a wack association/reason that can't help to make it an exclusive feminine name. Even Blair, which is historically and originally a boy name nowadays is considered as girly. This name Briar gives me a unisex vibe. With a more masculine sound. Briar Rose however wasn't a ridiculous lame mixture if you haven't used it so many times. It's a good name finally.

Pretty name, I fell in love with this name as a teenager.

I love this name, but I think it would be hard to come up with a middle name that isn't Rose, however it would work better as a middle name, but I would want it as a first name.

I love this name. I actually didn’t realize people used it as a boy name until reading this site, but hey you do you. This may be basic but I still love the name Briar Rose for a little girl.

Okay for a boy, although I don’t really care for it. Awful for a girl!

Briar sounds very pretty and graceful, but I wouldn't use Rose as a middle name.

I think Briar is a great unisex name. I met two Briar's in school, one male and one female. The name really stands out. I'm worried that it will soon be too trendy, though!

I love the name Briar for a girl, it's so pretty and Briar Rose was Sleeping Beauty's name. I would consider naming my baby girl Briar and Rose for a middle name:)❤️.

I grew up loving Sleeping Beauty, maybe that's why I'm drawn to this name. I think that it's super adorable, plus it's rare. I would love to have a daughter with this name. Of course it would fully be "Briar Rose".

My name is Briar and my middle name is Rose. I get asked everyday about my name. Mixed reviews! The plus is that you're always the only one in the room with that name lol!

I prefer this name for a male. Briar is currently on the list among boys, ranked at #998 (something around that)

---

Though honestly, it depends how you say the name so I guess it can go both ways

---

Bry-er: male
Bree-are: Female.

I just named my daughter Briar and I absolutely adore it. I have wanted to name a daughter Briar since I was in 7th grade - I wrote a short story and named the main character Briar. I can't remember how I came across the name in the first place (I'm assuming it was from Sleeping Beauty), but it has stuck with me for 20 years. I have always felt that it was incredibly feminine and can't imagine it for a boy. She has an older sister named Ava and I think the sibling names play off each other beautifully.

My name is Briar Louise and I'm a girl. I love my name, I always get compliments on it.

It's fiesty, original, unique. It's interesting. I love it.

I named my daughter Briar McKinzey. People LOVE it! She gets compliments almost daily on her name. I don't see it as a boy's name at all. Personally, if I were a boy, I'd be upset if my name was at all associated with a Disney princess. Just sayin'...

My name is Briar, I'm female, English, and was born in 1963 - so I think I may be the first ever! I've never met another so it's nice to see here that I'm not alone after all! It seems to be a 'new world' name, for the 'younger' generation, where masculine and feminine names are often interchangeable or the reverse of the European version.

---

I hated it growing up as no one had ever heard of it. They tended to think they'd heard Brian or seen a spelling mistake - which still regularly happens. People in administration tend to assume it's a spelling mistake and change it to Brian and put me on masculine lists or address me as Mr. - this really irritates and can be very inconvenient if I have to get official documents changed. I have spent my life explaining it - my mother simply loved the name of the wild rose (though her father called me Bramble!)

---

I see many comments considering the name to sound masculine - I suppose this could be the sound, or perhaps it depends on whether they picture the rose or the thorn! In the days when men smoked pipes they often remarked that I must be named after a pipe, as they are traditionally made of Briar wood (which misleadingly is from the Heather plant and nothing to do with the Briar bush).

---

The Briar plant has beautifully delicate pale pink roses in early summer followed by rich orangey-red hips in autumn (renowned for their high Vit C content), on a system of tough roots and stems - which should be handled with care due to its sharp thorns!

---

As an adult I've grown to appreciate being original and it certainly means I never get confused with anyone else!

What a lovely, unique name. Briar is a pretty special name for a person to have! :)

I love this name, it's very unusual and somewhat exotic sounding, but also very pretty. I would consider spelling this differently, because it can very easily be confused with Brian. I don't like this name as much for a male, it's alright but sounds too feminine.

We named our son Briar after the Liam Neeson character in the the 1989 movie "Next of Kin". Liam's character was a strong, family oriented individual that stood for what was right. His name does get confused with Brian alot, so we write his first name in capitals a lot of the time to avoid confusion. He likes his name because it is unique.

I had a friend named Briar-Rose her name was inspired by Sleeping Beauty. As was mine. I'm Aurora-Rose. They are rare names but that's what makes us who we are. I hope the name Briar will live on... My Briar was diagnosed with cancer five years ago and passed away two years ago on October 23rd.

My name is BRIAR and if I'm honest, I love my name. I grew up with everyone saying it was unusual and that they've never heard of it before. I still get asked now where it was from.

---

It's true, my mother did name me after the Disney tale of Sleeping Beauty although I look nothing like the princess. But I think my name suits my personality. Briar obviously means a wild rose bush but think about it: A rose is delicate and beautiful, and it's also a sign of love. But it protects itself with thorns so that not just anyone can come along and pick it. This name suits someone who is loving and kind and cares about those who surround them, but also to someone who knows the cruel realities of life and can be strong where necessary.

---

(PS. It is a wonderful girls name. I used to be the only 'Briar' around and now there are quite a few young girls with the name too).

I love this name. It's offbeat and unusual and strong — You know, thorns aren't actually a bad thing, just means your not naïve.

---

It's unisex. But I think the nature makes it perfect for that. Briarose could work, if you wanted it to be more feminine, or Briar Rose as a double first name. I guess you could hyphenate it too, Briar-Rose.

When I started college in 1999 I met a girl named Briar. I had never heard the name before and I thought it was the most gorgeous and beautiful name I'd ever heard in my life. Fast forward to 2010 and my husband and I were expecting a girl, I wanted to name her Briar, but my husband hated it. So we settled on Brooke, which to me was a good compromise because it likewise reflects nature and starts with "Br." But I never forgot that name. I still think it's beautiful.

I love this name, but not on its own. Sleeping Beauty has always been my favourite Disney film and Rose has always been my favorite name. If I ever have a daughter I had been planning on naming her Rose but I didn't think it looked as nice on its own so I was thinking about Rosalie. But now I will name her Briar Rose and call her Rose for short. Xx.

I love this name, it's got a unique balance, on the one hand a princess name but it isn't frilly or commercial, in fact it's legitimately unisex.

---

But I do think it leans on the feminine side even without the princess thing. It has sleek womanly feel like Margot, Petra or Simone, but with the nickname Bry to give it some youth.

---

My biggest concern is writing it, if you're sloppy that last r could easily look like an n.

If I named my daughter Briar Rose, I would probably mostly call her Rose and sometimes call her Briar Rose, but probably never just Briar.

I've always known Briar to be a masculine name so I was very surprised to see so many people who prefer it for a girl. I think it's entirely too harsh for a girl. Besides, it's only one letter away from being Brian.

I suppose it's an okay name for either sex, though it's not the best by far. It goes along the same lines as names like "Sage" or "Lilac", which, again, aren't the best, but aren't the worst.

I didn't know this was a male name. I've always associated it with girls, and it sounds uber girly to me. It's an adorable name!

I feel this is a very masculine name.
I have a younger brother by this name and he is a very masculine person.

I LOVE this name! I say it like BRY-er, and I think it is so pretty. It being a princess's name just makes it ten times better! I can see a really cute little girl with this name and a very pretty grown woman with the name as well:)

I think I like this name... I just came across it here at BTN, and I find myself warming up to it. There are few little girls who didn't like Sleeping Beauty back in the day, so that might be why I enjoy it. And because of the Disney association, I can't see it on a boy; it's much more feminine to me. Nonetheless, it's a very uncommon but sweet name. A nice choice for any parent considering this for their daughter. :)

To me it's not exactly the nicest name, but if I did happen to use it, it would be for a girl. Never ever for a boy (it reminds me of Briar Rose aka Sleeping Beauty and I don't think a boy would appreciate having the same name as a Disney princess).

I disagree with the people who say Briar cannot be a girl's name. It does sound a bit rough, but those comments kinda hurt my feelings considering my name happens to be Briar Rose, and I'm a girl. :( To those who say its an incredibly masculine name, I get complements all the time on how pretty it is. So there :P.

To me "Briar" looks more masculine and "Brier" looks more feminine. I somewhat agree with those who wrote about the plant being an undesirable namesake, but I also take guilty pleasure in this name, maybe because of the Sleeping Beauty associations, but I really can't explain why. As a matter of fact, when I was younger I wanted to name my daughter Sweetbrier, like the flower. I don't find this name so objectionable.

My husband and I have decided to name our first born daughter Briar Rose. We find Briar Rose both delicate and edgy, and it doesn't hurt she'll continue the middle name namesake with Rose. Also, for all of those who worry about teasing, having a unique and powerful name steeped in rich culture and history is an asset. Bullies will tease for any name, and it helps build character and a sense of self.

I love the name, but not on its own. I think if you combine it with something softer (like Rose, from Sleeping Beauty for example) it makes the name more interesting; it makes the name edgier. Like a soft, beautiful rose that has its thorny, tough side. I think that would create a gorgeous symbolism and encourage a strength in the bearer.

I love the name Briar, and I love the Tamora Pierce character. It's a nice name, and I can see how it could be a girl's name. Then again, one of my stories has a girl named Briar Rose in it, sooo...

Out of all the nature names, this one has to be the worst! It has a harsh, ugly sound to it when spoken aloud, and secondly, who would name their child after a thornbush?

I can't stand this name. Whenever I hear it, it just brings to mind a thornbush. Anyone considering naming their baby girl Briar, make sure you know what it means.

This name sounds utterly masculine to me, and I can't imagine it on girls. It's an okay name for males, even if a bit harsh-sounding, but it's far too masculine for females, even the tomboyish girls and androgynous women. Both syllables sound masculine, so I'd say this is a harsh-ish name for guys and an ugly name for females.

I love this name I think I'd spell it Bryar "BRY-er". I think it sounds cooler. :)

It would be pretty if their middle name was Rose.

This is beautiful. I've always liked this name, I just don't know why.

Briar doesn't sound like a name at all to me. It sounds like something you use to build houses.

Briar doesn't sound like a female name to me.