Brinlee is a modern spelling of Brinley, an English surname and place name from the Old English brende and leah, "burnt clearing" or "burnt meadow". The -lee ending puts it alongside Brynlee, Brylee and Everly, the soft two-syllable names that American parents have favored since the 2010s. Brinlee stood at number 1338 in 2015, peaked at number 1299 in 2017 and ranks 1798 in 2025.