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Irish surname

Brophy: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Bróithe

Woulfe (1923) gives Brophy as an anglicised form of Ó Bróithe, a family whose original patrimony was Magh Sedna in the barony of Galmoy, Co. Kilkenny, until they were driven into Upper Ossory soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion; their chief settled at Ballybrophy. Woulfe says the family is still numerous in Ossory and the adjoining districts of Tipperary. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 50 Brophy entries, 41 of them in Leinster.

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Coat of arms associated with the Brophy surname
Irish formÓ Bróithe
CountiesKilkenny, Tipperary, Dublin, Queen's
Other spellings6
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Brophy crest gifts

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Origin of the Brophy name

Woulfe: written Ua Broigthe in the Annals of Ulster, A.D. 1165. The family's original patrimony was Magh Sedna, in the barony of Galmoy, Co. Kilkenny; soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion they were driven into Upper Ossory, where their chief settled at Ballybrophy, 'in the present Leix'.[1]

  1. 1165Annals of Ulster: Conchobar Ua Broighte, king of Cenn-caille, killed.[5]
  2. Soon after the Anglo-Norman invasionDriven from Magh Sedna into Upper Ossory; chief settled at Ballybrophy.[1]
  3. 189050 Brophy birth entries; principally Dublin, Kilkenny, Queen's and Tipperary.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. KilkennyOriginal patrimony Magh Sedna, barony of Galmoy; among the principal Brophy counties in 1890.[1][3]
Co. TipperaryWoulfe: 'still numerous in Ossory and the adjoining districts of Tipperary'; a principal county in 1890.[1][3]
Co. DublinFirst county named for Brophy births in 1890.[3]
Co. Queen'sNamed by Matheson among the counties where Brophy births were principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. CorkWoulfe: the variant Ó Bróith was found in Iveleary, Co. Cork.[2]

Other spellings

Brofie · O Broha · O Brohy · O Broghie · O Brogh · O Broy[1][4]

The Brophy coat of arms

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

Brophy surname: questions

What does the surname Brophy mean?

Woulfe gives Brophy as a form of Ó Bróithe. In the transcription of his entry used here the meaning is printed only as 'descendant of B…', with the personal name not given, so no meaning is given on this page.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Brophy name from?

Woulfe says the family's original patrimony was Magh Sedna in the barony of Galmoy, Co. Kilkenny, and that after the Anglo-Norman invasion their chief settled at Ballybrophy. In 1890 Brophy births were principally found in Dublin, Kilkenny, Queen's and Tipperary.[1][3]

Where did the Brophy chiefs live?

Woulfe says that when the family was driven into Upper Ossory, soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion, their chief settled at Ballybrophy, 'in the present Leix'.[1]

Is Brophy the same name as Bray?

Woulfe prints (Bray) in brackets under Ó Bróith, a variant of Ó Bróithe found in Iveleary, Co. Cork, where he says it is sometimes anglicised Bray. He does not list Bray under Ó Bróithe itself.[2]

Sources

  1. Ó Bróithe — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-broithe.php
  2. Ó Bróith — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/ob/o-broith.php
  3. Brophy — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/brophy.php
  4. Brophy — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/167.php
  5. Annals of Ulster, entry U1165 — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100001A/text714.html

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