Though it is the name of a cheese, this girls' name became popular at the end of the 20th century. It was originally a pet form of Br- names like Brenda and Bridget, or short for Gabrielle/Gabriella. Currently, it's used on its own (also in the spelling Bree) and also as a nickname for modern names like Brianna, Brielle, Breelyn etc.See Also: Bree