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Irish surname

McBride: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Giolla Bhríghde (in speech shortened to Mac 'a Bhríghde) · 'son of Giolla Bhríghde' (servant of St. Brigid)

Woulfe (1923) gives MacBride as an anglicised form of Mac Giolla Bhríghde, 'son of Giolla Bhríghde' (servant of St. Brigid), shortened in the spoken language to Mac 'a Bhríghde. He says the name was formerly found in many parts of Ireland, notably in the North, where it is still common as MacBride. In 1890, 105 of the 118 McBride births in Ireland were in Ulster.

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Coat of arms associated with the McBride surname
Irish formMac Giolla Bhríghde (in speech shortened to Mac 'a Bhríghde)
Meaning'son of Giolla Bhríghde' (servant of St. Brigid)
CountiesAntrim, Donegal, Down
Other spellings6
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McBride crest gifts

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Origin of the McBride name

A Gaelic Irish name: Mac Giolla Bhríghde, 'son of Giolla Bhríghde' (servant of St. Brigid). Woulfe says it was formerly found in many parts of Ireland, notably in the North, where it is still common under the anglicised form MacBride, having been shortened in speech to Mac 'a Bhríghde.[1][2]

  1. 1726Physician David MacBride born at Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, 26 April.[4]
  2. 1767David MacBride publishes his treatise on scurvy.[4]
  3. 1890118 McBride births registered in Ireland, 105 in Ulster; chiefly Antrim, Donegal, Down.[3]
  4. 1974Seán MacBride awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. AntrimFirst of the three counties where McBride was principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. DonegalAmong the counties where McBride was principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. DownAmong the counties where McBride was principally found in 1890.[3]

Notable people named McBride

David MacBride, M.D.1726–1778Born at Ballymoney, Co. Antrim; navy surgeon, then eminent Dublin physician; wrote on scurvy (1767).[4]
Seán MacBride1904–1988Nobel Peace Prize 1974; one of the founders of Amnesty International; Irish Minister for External Affairs after World War II.[5]

Other spellings

MacBride · MacGillbride · MacKilbride · Macklebreed · Gillbride · Kilbride[1][2]

The McBride coat of arms

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

McBride surname: questions

What does the surname McBride mean?

Woulfe gives it as Mac Giolla Bhríghde, 'son of Giolla Bhríghde', meaning servant of St. Brigid.[1]

Is McBride an Irish name?

Woulfe lists MacBride as the anglicised form of the Irish surname Mac Giolla Bhríghde, shortened in the spoken language to Mac 'a Bhríghde.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the McBride name from?

Woulfe says it was formerly found in many parts of Ireland, notably in the North. In 1890, 105 of 118 McBride births were in Ulster, principally in Antrim, Donegal and Down.[1][3]

Who was Seán MacBride?

Born in Paris in 1904, he shared the 1974 Nobel Peace Prize 'for his efforts to secure and develop human rights throughout the world'. He was one of the founders of Amnesty International and died in Dublin in 1988.[5]

Sources

  1. Mac Giolla Bhríghde — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-bhrighde.php
  2. Mac 'a Bhríghde — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-a-bhrighde.php
  3. McBride — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcbride.php
  4. David MacBride — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/DavidMacBride.php
  5. Seán MacBride – Facts (Nobel Peace Prize 1974), NobelPrize.org (Nobel Prize Outreach). nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1974/macbride/facts/

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