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Irish surname

Breen: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Braoin; Mac Braoin · Ó Braoin: 'descendant of Braon' (sadness, sorrow); Mac Braoin: 'son of Braon'

Woulfe (1923) lists Breen under two Irish surnames: Ó Braoin, 'descendant of Braon', the name of several distinct families, and Mac Braoin, 'son of Braon', a Kilkenny family formerly seated in the barony of Knocktopher. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 112 entries for Breen (110 with that exact spelling), principally in Wexford, Dublin and Kerry.

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Coat of arms associated with the Breen surname
Irish formÓ Braoin; Mac Braoin
MeaningÓ Braoin: 'descendant of Braon' (sadness, sorrow); Mac Braoin: 'son of Braon'
CountiesWexford, Dublin, Kerry, Kilkenny
Other spellings5

Origin of the Breen name

Woulfe: Ó Braoin was the name of several distinct families, the most important being lords of Breaghmhaine (barony of Brawney, Co. Westmeath); lords of Luighne (barony of Lune, in the west of Co. Meath); a family probably seated in Costello, Co. Mayo; and a Roscommon family whose head was erenagh of St. Coman's church. Mac Braoin: a Kilkenny family of Knocktopher barony.[1][2]

  1. 1201Death of the last lord of Luighne named in the Four Masters (per Woulfe).[1]
  2. 16th centuryWoulfe: forms O Bruen, O Bruyn, O Bruyen used for Ó Braoin in Leix and Carlow.[1]
  3. 1826Astronomer James Breen born at Armagh, 5 July.[5]
  4. 1890112 Breen entries incl. spelling varieties (110 spelled Breen); principally Wexford, Dublin, Kerry.[3][4]

Where in Ireland

Co. WexfordFirst of the counties where Breen was principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. DublinAmong the counties where Breen was principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. KerryAmong the counties where Breen was principally found in 1890; Woulfe: O Browne in Kerry suggests the origin of the Breens there.[3][1]
Co. KilkennyMac Braoin family, formerly seated in the barony of Knocktopher.[2]
Co. WestmeathÓ Braoin lords of Breaghmhaine, now the barony of Brawney, adjoining Athlone and the Shannon.[1]
Co. RoscommonÓ Braoin family whose head was erenagh of St. Coman's church; it 'may now be represented by the Bruens' there.[1]

Notable people named Breen

Tighearnach Ó BraoinAnnalist of the Roscommon Ó Braoin family, 'one of the most learned men of his age' (Woulfe).[1]
James Breen1826–1866Astronomer born at Armagh; assistant at the Cambridge Observatory from 1846; author of 'The Planetary Worlds' (1854).[5]

Other spellings

O Breen · MacBreen · Bruen · O Brean · M'Breane[1]

The Breen coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Breen surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Breen crest gifts

Clan Obreen Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapWT92 Classic Cap - Obreen Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Obreen Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Breen Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapZP38 Classic Cap - Breen Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Breen Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Breen Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap LD41 Breen Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Breen Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Obreen Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap AU17 Obreen Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Obreen Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

Breen surname: questions

What does the surname Breen mean?

Woulfe gives Ó Braoin as 'descendant of Braon', glossing Braon as 'sadness, sorrow', and Mac Braoin as 'son of Braon'. Breen is an anglicised form of both.[1][2]

Is Breen an Irish name?

Woulfe lists Breen as an anglicised form of the Irish surnames Ó Braoin and Mac Braoin.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Breen name from?

Woulfe names Ó Braoin families in Westmeath (Brawney), in the barony of Lune in the west of Co. Meath, probably in Costello, Co. Mayo, and in Roscommon, and a Mac Braoin family in the barony of Knocktopher, Co. Kilkenny. In 1890 Breen births were principally found in Wexford, Dublin and Kerry.[1][2][3]

Are Breen and O'Brien the same name?

Woulfe gives Breen as a form of Ó Braoin and Mac Braoin. He prints (O'Brien) in brackets among the Ó Braoin forms and explains that, for one Ó Braoin family, of Breaghmhaine (Brawney, Co. Westmeath), 'the name has been incorrectly anglicised O'Brien, which somewhat obscures its origin'.[1]

Sources

  1. Ó Braoin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-braoin.php
  2. Mac Braoin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macb/mac-braoin.php
  3. Breen — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/breen.php
  4. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  5. Breen, James — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).