O'Branaghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of O'Branaghan

The original Gaelic form of O'Branaghan was Ó Branagain, derived from bran, which means raven. 1

Early Origins of the O'Branaghan family

Early History of the O'Branaghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Branaghan research. Another 52 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1610 is included under the topic Early O'Branaghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Branaghan Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname O'Branaghan are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Branagan, Branigan, Brangan, Brangen, Branghan, Branikan, Brankin, Brannagan, Brannahan, Brannaghan, Brannaghin, Brannigan, Braendigan, Brandigan, O'Branagan and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Branaghan family

More information is included under the topic Early O'Branaghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Branaghan family

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 O'Branaghan family in North America: Felix, Francis, James, John, Lawrence, Michael, Patrick, and Thomas Branagan, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1834 and 1870; John Branagan settled in Charleston in 1796.