| Breddy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms Etymology of BreddyWhat does the name Breddy mean? The Irish name Breddy originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Bradaigh, possibly derived from bradach, which means spirited, which is in turn derived from brad, which means urging. Early Origins of the Breddy familyThe surname Breddy was first found in Galway (Irish: Gaillimh) part of the province of Connacht, located on the west coast of the Island, and County Clare where they held a family seat from ancient times. They were descended from Olioll Olum, King of Munster who reigned about 130 A.D. and descended through a line of Chiefs and Kings to John O'Grady, alias O'Brady, who died in 1332 in the Clann territories of Fassaghmore in the county of Clare. His son, Sir Denis O'Grady alias O'Brady of Fassaghmore was knighted by King Henry VI of England. This great confusion of names continued into the 14th and 15th century and to make matters even more confusing the line frequently reverted from one spelling to the other. The Clann seat became established at Kilballyowen in County Limerick, and the present Chief of the Gradys (or Bradys) is one of the few Chiefs recognized in Ireland. He is Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Vogors de Courcy O'Grady. They were settled in Glenstal Abbey. Many of the name were also found in Cavan. Early History of the Breddy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Breddy research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1454, 1710, 1752 and 1827 are included under the topic Early Breddy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Breddy Spelling VariationsOne must realize that attempting to record a Gaelic name in English was a daunting task. Even today the translation is a difficult one. Names, therefore, often had many spelling variations. The variations of the name Breddy include: Grady, Brady, O'Grady, O'Brady, Braidy, Graidy, Bradie, Braidie, Braydy, Braydie, Gradie, Graidie, Graydy, Graydie, Bradigan, O'Bradigan and many more. Early Notables of the Breddy familySir Denis O'Brady; Andrew MacBrady, was the first bishop of Kilmore in 1454; Fiachra MacBrady (c.1710), Gaelic poet; James Bernard MacBrady, Count of the Holy Roman Empire; Phelim Brady (fl. 1710), a Gaelic poet usually referred... Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Breddy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Breddy migration to the United States | + |
Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Breddy:
Breddy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Patrick Breddy, aged 21, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Transport" 1
- 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)
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