Burnt meadow or clearing
Brinlee is a modern American variation of the English surname Brindley. It is derived from the Old English words 'bryne', meaning fire or burnt, and 'leah', meaning a meadow or woodland clearing. This likely referred to a piece of land cleared by fire for farming.
Less common today
Brinlee isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #1,300 in 2017.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
