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Irish surname

Brady: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Brádaigh · 'son of Brádach' (spirited)

Brady is an anglicised form of Mac Brádaigh, 'son of Brádach' (spirited), which Woulfe (1923) calls 'the name of a great Cavan family'. Its chief ruled Cúil Bhríghde, the district around Stradone in Co. Cavan. In Matheson's 1890 survey Brady was 57th among Irish surnames, with about 11,600 people, and Cavan led the counties.

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Coat of arms associated with the Brady surname
Irish formMac Brádaigh
Meaning'son of Brádach' (spirited)
CountiesCavan, Dublin, Antrim, Meath
Other spellings6

Origin of the Brady name

Woulfe: Mac Brádaigh was 'the name of a great Cavan family'; Mac Brádaigh was chief of Cúil Bhríghde, or Cúil Bhríghdéin, 'comprising the district around Stradone in Co. Cavan'. The surname is 'now very common in Ulster and also in many parts of Leinster'.[1]

  1. 1659Rev. Nicholas Brady born at Bandon, 28 October.[4]
  2. 1695Tate and Brady's version of the Psalms first published.[4]
  3. 1826Field-Marshal Brady, born in Co. Cavan, dies at Vienna.[5]
  4. 1890Brady is 57th among Irish surnames, about 11,600 people.[6]

Where in Ireland

Co. CavanChiefs of Cúil Bhríghde, around Stradone; first county for Brady births in 1890.[1][7]
Co. DublinSecond of the counties where Brady was principally found in 1890.[7]
Co. AntrimAmong the counties where Brady was principally found in 1890.[7]
Co. MeathAmong the counties where Brady was principally found in 1890.[7]
Co. LongfordAmong the counties where Brady was principally found in 1890.[7]

Notable people named Brady

Rev. Nicholas Brady1659–1726Born at Bandon; joint author with Tate of a version of the Psalms long used by the Church of England.[4]
Field-Marshal Bradyd. 1826Cavan farmer's son sent to Vienna; as Field-Marshal and Baron he defended his adopted country against Napoleon; died at Vienna.[5]

Other spellings

MacBrady · M'Brady · M'Bradie · M'Brade · MacGrady · MacGrade[3]

The Brady coat of arms

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

Brady crest gifts

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Brady surname: questions

What does the surname Brady mean?

Woulfe gives Brady as an anglicised form of Mac Brádaigh, 'son of Brádach', and glosses Brádach as 'spirited'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Brady name from?

Co. Cavan. Woulfe calls Mac Brádaigh 'the name of a great Cavan family' whose chief held Cúil Bhríghde, the district around Stradone. In 1890 Cavan was still the first county for Brady births.[1][7]

How common is Brady in Ireland?

Matheson's survey of the 1890 Births Index put Brady 57th among Irish surnames, with an estimated 11,600 people and 261 birth entries, mostly in Ulster (125) and Leinster (105).[6][7]

Are the Bradys a branch of the O'Carrolls?

Woulfe says no: in his entry for Ó Cearbhaill he writes that 'the MacBradys of Cavan are said, but erroneously, to be a branch of' the O'Carrolls of Calry.[3]

Sources

  1. Mac Brádaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macb/mac-bradaigh.php
  2. Mag Bhrádaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mag/mag-bhradaigh.php
  3. Ó Cearbhaill — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cearbhaill.php
  4. Nicholas Brady — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/NicholasBrady.php
  5. Field-Marshal Brady — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/Field-MarshalBrady.php
  6. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  7. Brady — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/brady.php

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