Show ContentsMcBryde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the McBryde family

The surname McBryde 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 McBryde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McBryde 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 McBryde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McBryde Spelling Variations

Names from the Middle Ages demonstrate many spelling variations. This is because the recording scribe or church official often decided as to how a person's name was spelt and in what language. Research into the name McBryde revealed many variations, including MacBride, Kilbride, Gilbride and others.

Early Notables of the McBryde family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McBryde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McBryde Ranking

In the United States, the name McBryde is the 9,003rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States McBryde migration to the United States +

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the McBryde family in North America:

McBryde Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Alexander McBryde, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1899 2

Australia McBryde migration to Australia +

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

McBryde Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Sarah McBryde, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 10 years, transported aboard the "Baretto Junior" on 5th April 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name McBryde (post 1700) +

  • John H. McBryde (b. 1931), American jurist, Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (1991-)
  • John McLaren McBryde (1841-1923), American academic, 5th President of Virginia Tech (1891-1907)
  • Archibald McBryde (1766-1816), Scottish-born, American Congressional Representative from North Carolina in 1813 and 1814
  • Michael McBryde (b. 1981), Australian silver and bronze medalist rower
  • Ian McBryde (b. 1953), Canadian-born, Australian poet
  • John McBryde (b. 1939), Australian bronze medalist field hockey player at the 1964 Summer Olympics
  • Sydney Ronald "Ron" McBryde (1941-1989), Canadian politician, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1969 to 1981
  • Robin Currie McBryde (b. 1970), Welsh former rugby union player from Bangor


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baretto-junior


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