The Irish name MacBreint has evolved from the Gaelic Mac Braoin or O Braoin.
Early Origins of the MacBreint family
The surname MacBreint 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 the family is descended through the
Heremon line and claim to be direct descendants of King Niall of the Nine Hostages. They were known as the Lords of Brawney
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4) and were an
Ossory sept (Clann) seated near Knocktopher,
Kilkenny, until they had to forfeit their lands by the Anglo
Norman invasion of
Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke in 1172. They were subsequently dispersed throughout Ireland.
Early History of the MacBreint family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacBreint research.
Another 369 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1303, 1324, 1560 and 1625 are included under the topic Early MacBreint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
MacBreint Spelling Variations
Those scribes in
Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the MacBreint family name revealed numerous
spelling variations, including Breen, Breene, Brean, Breane, Bruen, Brawney, O'Breen, O'Braoin and many more.
Early Notables of the MacBreint family (pre 1700)
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacBreint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the MacBreint family to the New World and Oceana
A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and
Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The
Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name MacBreint or a variant listed above: Francis Breen, who was on record in Delaware in 1812; John Breene who settled in New York in 1803; Alice Breen, who sailed from
Londonderry to Philadelphia in 1847.
The MacBreint Motto
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Comnac an Ceane
Motto Translation: Fight for Right