The Irish name McBreind has evolved from the Gaelic Mac Braoin or O Braoin.
Early Origins of the McBreind family
The surname McBreind 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 McBreind family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McBreind research.
Another 369 words (26 lines of text) covering the years 1303, 1324, 1560 and 1625 are included under the topic Early McBreind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McBreind 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 McBreind revealed
spelling variations, including Breen, Breene, Brean, Breane, Bruen, Brawney, O'Breen, O'Braoin and many more.
Early Notables of the McBreind family (pre 1700)
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McBreind Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McBreind family to the New World and Oceana
In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the
Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and
Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the McBreind family came to North America quite early: 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 McBreind 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