The Irish surname Brislawn is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic
patronymic name Ó Breisláin, or "descendant of Breisleán."
Early Origins of the Brislawn family
The surname Brislawn was first found in
Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest
Ireland in the province of
Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel where the O'Breislein Sept, branch of the Cenél Enda held the district of Fanad, located in the Barony of Kilmacrenan. They were one of the principal Brehon families of
Ireland, mentioned frequently by the Four Masters. Brehons served as judges, ambassadors and negotiators, brokering deals and treaties, and settling disputes between the
feudal lords of medieval
Ireland. They were the interpreters of Brehon law.
Early History of the Brislawn family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brislawn research.
Another 414 words (30 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1306, 1307, and 1659 are included under the topic Early Brislawn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brislawn Spelling Variations
Many
spelling variations of the surname Brislawn can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include O'Breislein, O'Berislein, O'Breslin, Breslin and others.
Early Notables of the Brislawn family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Brislawn Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Brislawn family to the New World and Oceana
A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Brislawn name: Patrick Breslin, who arrived in New York in 1824; Mary Breslin, who came to St. John, N.B. in 1834; Condy Breslin and Constantia Breslin who arrived at St. John, N.B. in 1847.
Contemporary Notables of the name Brislawn (post 1700)
- Matt Brislawn, American actor, known for his work on Singularity Session (2009), Floaters (2010) and The Children of Terra Firma (2012)
- Robert E. Brislawn, American horse enthusiast from Oshoto, Wyoming who with this brother Ferdinand L. Brislawn of Gusher, Utah helped restore the Spanish Mustang, an American horse breed descended from horses brought from Spain in 1957