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Briant History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Briant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland-Alt
Ireland

The name Briant is of Norman origin, derived from the personal name Brian which was popular in France and Norman England before it came to Ireland. It has sometimes been used as a synonym for O'Brien, though it is of different origin.

Brian (926-1014), was King of Ireland, known in Irish writings as Brian Boroimhe, Boroma most commonly in earlier books as Brian Mac Cennedigh (Book of Leinster), and in English writings as Bryan Mac Kennedy and Brian Boru, He was a native of the northern part of Munster, and was of the royal descent of Thomond, of the family known as Dal Cais. Brian, who was born in 926, was the youngest of three sons. 1

Early Origins of the Briant family

The surname Briant was first found in County Kilkenny (Irish: Cill Chainnigh), the former Kingdom of Osraige (Ossory), located in Southeastern Ireland in the province of Leinster, where bearers of the surname settled in the 13th century.

Early History of the Briant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Briant research. More information is included under the topic Early Briant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Briant Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bryan, Brian, OBryan, McBryan, O'Bryant and others.

Early Notables of the Briant family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Briant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Briant Ranking

In France, the name Briant is the 2,576^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 2

Briant migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Briant Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Briant, who arrived in Maryland in 1633-1634 3
Darby Briant, who landed in Maryland in 1678 3
William Briant, who landed in Maryland in 1679 3

Briant Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Patrick Briant, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1769 3

Briant Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Louis Briant, who landed in New York in 1822 3
Mr. Briant, aged 30, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1850 3
E G Briant, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3

Briant migration to Australia +

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

Briant Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Mary Briant, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Briant Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Briant, British convict who was convicted in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, the settlement was listed as abandoned and most of the convicts transported to Tasmania on the "Queen" in 1804 5
Mr. John Briant, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. Stephen Briant, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. James Briant, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. John Briant, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Briant 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:

Briant Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Henry Briant, (b. 1843), aged 22, British shepherd travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 1st January 1866 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Briant (post 1700) +

Shane Briant (1946-2021), English-born, Australian actor and novelist, best known for his roles in Demons of the Mind, Straight on Till Morning, Captain Kronos-Vampire Hunter, and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
Vincent Briant (b. 1986), French professional football player
Gavin Aubrey Briant (b. 1969), former Zimbabwean cricketer
Frank Briant (1863-1934), British Liberal politician
Michael E. Briant (b. 1942), British television director from Bournemouth, Hampshire

Historic Events for the Briant family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. Albert Briant (d. 1912), aged 34, English Greaser from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 11

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html