Contents [hide]

Brien History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Brien History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

The ancient surname Brien came from Brian a "Celtic personal name of great antiquity, implying originally, regulus, or chieftain." 1

Early Origins of the Brien family

The surname Brien was first found in Denbigh, a market town in Denbighshire, North Wales. "The great baronial house of Bryan became extinct in the male line at the death in 1390 of Guy de Bryan, Baron Bryan who served as standard bearer to Edward III in the celebrated fight with the French at Calais. " 2

Another source claims the name came from three locations: Tor-Bryan in Devon; Langheren, in South Wales, and at Woodford Castle, county Dorset. "Of this family was the chivalrous Sir Guy Bryan, Lord Bryan, K.G. temp. Edward III., and standard bearer at the celebrated battle of Calais. " 1

This source continues "The Christian name Guy was frequent in the family." Yet another source claims a similar story with a different surname spelling. In this case, this source is referring to the parish of Slapton in Devon. "This place belonged to Sir Guy de Brien, Knt., standardbearer to Edward III., whom he attended at the battle of Calais in 1349, on which occasion, having greatly distinguished himself by his intrepidity, he was rewarded with a grant of 200 marks per annum, payable out of the exchequer during his life. Sir Guy founded a chantry in the church for a rector and four priests, and endowed it with £10 per annum in land, and with the advowson of the living." 3

"Slapton [Devon] belonged to the ancient family of De Brian as early as the reign of Henry II., and descended to the Percy Earls of Northumberland, as the representative of Sir Guy de Brian the younger, through the sole heiress. Guy de Brian, one of the first Knights of the Garter, founded a collegiate chantry at Slapton in 1373, and the remains of his house are known as Poole Priory." 4

"Tor Brian [in Devon] is linked with several names of note, the most famous of its early lords being one of the foremost of Devon's worthies. Sir Guy de Brian, standard-bearer to Edward III., did such service at Calais that he had a grant of 200 marks yearly out of the Exchequer. In 1354 he went to Rome with Henry, Duke of Lancaster, to procure a ratification of the league between England and France from the Pope. In 1370 he again served in France, and in the same year illustrated his many-sided character still further by becoming Admiral of the king's fleet. Edward showed his esteem for Sir Guy by choosing him one of the Knights of the Garter. De Brian served Richard II. with equal success in France and in Ireland, by land and by sea, in the camp and in the court. He founded and endowed a collegiate church in his manor of Slapton, already noted, and died at an advanced age in 1391, leaving two granddaughters only. " 4

Early History of the Brien family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brien research. Another 258 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1150, 1296, 1471, 1490, 1500, 1518, 1549, 1621, 1662, 1668, 1676, 1694, 1699 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Brien History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brien Spelling Variations

Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Bryan, Bryant, Brian, Breine, Brine, Bryand, Briand, Briant, Bryane and many more.

Early Notables of the Brien family

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was Sir Thomas Bryan KS KB (died 1500), a British justice, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (1471-1500); and his son, Sir Thomas Bryan (died 1518) was an English courtier during the reign of Henry VIII; Sir Francis Bryan (ca. 1490-1549), English nobleman, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland; John Bryan, D.D...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Brien Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brien Ranking

In the United States, the name Brien is the 6,278^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Brien is ranked the 658^th most popular surname. 6

Migration of the Brien family to Ireland

Some of the Brien family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brien migration to the United States +

Early immigration records have shown some of the first of the name Brien to arrive on North American shores were:

Brien Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Cormick Brien, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 7
A Lucie Brien, who arrived in South Carolina in 1755-1756 7
Isabelle Brien, who landed in South Carolina in 1755-1756 7
Magdeleine Brien, who landed in South Carolina in 1755-1756 7
Elizabeth Brien, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1767 7

Brien Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Brien, who landed in America in 1800 7
Thomas Brien, aged 23, who arrived in New York, NY in 1804 7
Christophe Brien, who arrived in Louisiana in 1805-1809 7
Jos Brien, who arrived in America in 1805 7
Hugh Brien, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brien migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brien Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Louis Brien, who arrived in Quebec from Brittany in 1676
Louis Brien, son of Julien and Jeanne, who married Suzanne Bouvier, daughter of Michel and Mathurin, in Montreal, Quebec on 16th April 1681 8

Brien Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Louis Brien, son of Louis and Suzanne, who married Catherine Desrochers, daughter of Nicolas and Jeanne, in Rivière-des-Prairies, Quebec on 20th July 1711 8
Pierre Brien, son of Louis and Suzanne, who married Élisabeth Desrochers, daughter of Jean and Marie, in Rivière-des-Prairies, Quebec on 20th July 1711 8
Urbain Brien, son of Louis and Suzanne, who married Marguerite Desroches, daughter of Jean and Marie, in Rivière-des-Prairies, Quebec on 25th April 1711 8
Isaac Brien, son of Louis and Suzanne, who married Marie Valiquet, daughter of Jean and Renée, in Varennes, Quebec on 12th March 1713 8
François-Marie Brien, son of Louis and Suzanne, who married Marguerite-Louise Lemire, daughter of Joseph and Jeanne, in Varennes, Quebec on 22nd November 1716 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brien Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Anne Brien, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1813
Elysia Brien, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1815
Eleanor Brien, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1819
Elenor Brien, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1821
Julia Brien, aged 2, who landed in Canada in 1823
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brien migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Brien Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Mary Brien, (b. 1776), aged 17, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for life for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Boddingtons" on 15th February 1793, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1853 9

Brien Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ellen Brien, (O'Brien, Bryan), (b. 1790), aged 28, Irish house maid who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for shop lifting, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 26th July 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. James Brien, (O'Brien), (b. 1787), aged 35, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Waterford, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Brampton" on 8th November 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1857 11
Mr. William Brien, (O'Brien), (b. 1794), aged 28, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Waterford, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Brampton" on 8th November 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Andrew Brien, (b. 1804), aged 23, Irish whitesmith who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the “Countess of Harcourt“ on 14th February 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Christopher Brien, a watch-maker, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Brien migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Brien Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Brien, Scottish settler travelling from Leith aboard the ship 'Melbourne' arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 18th March 1861 13
Miss Mary Brien, (b. 1840), aged 22, British dairymaid travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 13
Miss Elizabeth Brien, (b. 1842), aged 20, British dairymaid travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 13
Hannah Brien, aged 26, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Accrington" in 1863 13
Mr. Thomas Brien, (b. 1837), aged 28, British carpenter travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indian Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd July 1865 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Brien (post 1700) +

William "Willie" Warren Brien, American Executive Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery, Director of the Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedic Center and past Chief of Staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien (b. 1970), former American NFL football placekicker who played from 1994 to 2005
Alan Brien (1925-2008), English journalist and author, best known for his novel Lenin
William Roy Brien (1930-1987), English footballer
Anthony James "Tony" Brien (1969-2023), Irish footballer who played in the Football League for Leicester City, Chesterfield, Rotherham United, West Bromwich Albion, Mansfield Town, Chester City and Hull City
Pierre Brien (b. 1970), Canadian politician, Member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2003
John Wesley Brien (1864-1949), Canadian politician and physician, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Essex South (1917-1921)
Don Brien (b. 1959), Canadian bronze medalist sprint canoer at the 1985 World Championships
Robert C. Brien (b. 1944), Australian tennis player
James Brien Comey (b. 1960), American lawyer and former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2013-2017), Deputy Attorney General of the United States during President George W. Bush's administration, 7th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; he was fired on May 9,2017

Historic Events for the Brien family +

SS Atlantic

Mr. Brien, Irish traveler aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/boddingtons
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Brampton
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 19th April 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html