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Irish surname

Brody: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Bruaideadha · 'son of Bruaideadh'

Woulfe (1923) gives Brody as a form of Mac Bruaideadha, 'son of Bruaideadh'. The MacBrodys were hereditary bards and historians to the O'Briens of Thomond and held property in Co. Clare in virtue of their office. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 7 Brody entries including spelling varieties (6 spelled Brody), all in Munster; Matheson notes '6 in Clare'.

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Coat of arms associated with the Brody surname
Irish formMac Bruaideadha
Meaning'son of Bruaideadh'
CountiesClare
Other spellings5

Origin of the Brody name

Woulfe: hereditary bards and historians to the O'Briens of Thomond, from whom they held, in virtue of their office, considerable property at Ballybrody, Kilkeedy and Littermoylan, in Co. Clare. The estates were confiscated in Cromwellian times.[1]

  1. 1563Four Masters: Mac Brody, Ollav of Hy-Bracain and Hy-Fearmaic, died; his brother Maoilin took his place.[3]
  2. 1582Four Masters: Mac Brody (Maoilin), Ollav to O'Brien in history, died; his kinsman Gilla-Brighde was elected.[4]
  3. 1602Four Masters: Mac Brody (Maoilin Oge) died; 'not in Ireland... a better historian, poet, and rhymer, than he'.[5]
  4. 18907 entries including spelling varieties (6 spelled Brody), all in Munster; '6 in Clare'.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. ClareWoulfe: Ballybrody, Kilkeedy and Littermoylan, Co. Clare; Matheson 1890: '6 in Clare'.[1][2]

Notable people named Brody

Conor MacBrodyWoulfe: one of the learned men whose approbation is prefixed to the Annals of the Four Masters.[1]

Other spellings

MacBrody · Brodie · M'Brodie · M'Brouddie · M'Broudy[1]

The Brody coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Brody 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.

Brody crest gifts

Clan Brody Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapWQ28 Classic Cap - Brody Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Brody Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Brody surname: questions

What does the surname Brody mean?

Woulfe gives Brody as a form of Mac Bruaideadha, 'son of Bruaideadh'.[1]

Who were the MacBrodys?

Woulfe says they were hereditary bards and historians to the O'Briens of Thomond, holding property at Ballybrody, Kilkeedy and Littermoylan in Co. Clare in virtue of their office.[1]

Where is the Brody name from in Ireland?

Woulfe places the MacBrody estates in Co. Clare. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 7 Brody entries including spelling varieties (6 spelled Brody); Matheson notes '6 in Clare'.[1][2]

What happened to the MacBrody estates?

Woulfe says the family estates were confiscated in Cromwellian times.[1]

Sources

  1. Mac Bruaideadha — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macb/mac-bruaideadha.php
  2. Brody — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/brody.php
  3. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1563 (part 7) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text007.html
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1582 (part 9) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text009.html
  5. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1602 (part 14) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005F/text014.html

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