MacBride History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

There are many Irish surnames being used today in forms that are quite different than their original, ancient forms. MacBride originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Giolla Bhrighde, which denotes a devotee of St. Brigid.

Early Origins of the MacBride family

The surname MacBride was first found in Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where the they are descended from the son of the servant (follower, devotee) of St. Brigit, the virgin Abbess of Kildare who died 525 A.D. The surname was first listed as eranaghs of Raymunterdoney in Donegal, a parish which includes Tory Island. The parish comprises 12,017 statute acres, but more than two-thirds is mountainous. Records show the name was principally found at Gweedore in the seventeenth century.

Early History of the MacBride family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacBride research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1440, 1650, 1659, 1718, 1726, 1730, 1778 and 1800 are included under the topic Early MacBride History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacBride Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name MacBride revealed spelling variations, including MacBride, Kilbride, Gilbride and others.

Early Notables of the MacBride family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

John MacBride (1730-1800), Admiral of the British Navy

MacBride migration to the United States +

Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name MacBride:

MacBride Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ant. Macbride, who arrived in Georgia in 1734

MacBride Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James MacBride, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 1
John MacBride, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 1
Patrick MacBride, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 1
William MacBride, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 1
Bernard MacBride, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 1

Contemporary Notables of the name MacBride (post 1700) +

Thomas Huston Macbride (1848-1934), tenth President of the University of Iowa
Roger Lea MacBride (1929-1995), American lawyer, political figure, and television producer
John MacBride (1735-1800), Admiral of the Blue, Royal Navy officer, who saw service during the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence
William D. MacBride, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Whitehorse, 1926 2
Thomas Jamison MacBride (1914-2000), American Democratic Party politician, Member of California State Assembly, 1955-60; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1960 2
Roger Lea MacBride (1929-1995), American politician, Member of Vermont State House of Representatives, 1962; Libertarian Candidate for President of the United States, 1976 2
Robert J. MacBride, American politician, U.S. Consul in Leith, 1897 2
Major John MacBride (1868-1916), Irish republican executed for participation in the 1916 Easter Rising
Sir Phillip Seán MacBride (1904-1998), Irish diplomat, who shared the Nobel peace price in 1974
Sean MacBride (1904-1988), Irish politician, son of Maude MacBride, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html