Contents [hide]

Breen History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Sources

Breen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Breen

What does the name Breen mean?

The Irish name Breen has evolved from the Gaelic Mac Braoin or Ó Braoin.

Early Origins of the Breen family

The surname Breen 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 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 Breen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Breen research. Another 185 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1303, 1324, 1560 and 1625 are included under the topic Early Breen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Breen Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Breen dating from that time include Breen, Breene, Brean, Breane, Bruen, Brawney, O'Breen, O'Braoin and many more.

Early Notables of the Breen family

Notable among the family name at this time was

Donal O'Breen, Bishop of Clonmacnois from 1303-1324

Breen World Ranking

In the United States, the name Breen is the 3,011^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Breen is ranked the 414^th most popular surname with an estimated 113 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Breen is the 997^th popular surname with an estimated 3,961 people with that name. 4

Breen migration to the United States +

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Breen:

Breen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elizabth Breen, aged 3, who landed in Massachusetts in 1755 5
John Batiss Breen, aged 6, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1755 5
John Breen, aged 15, who landed in Massachusetts in 1755 5
Joseph Breen, aged 17, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1755 5
Molly Breen, aged 10, who landed in Massachusetts in 1755 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Breen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francis Breen, who was on record in Delaware in 1812
Francis Breen, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1812 5
Philip Breen, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1824 5
William Breen, who landed in New York in 1825 5
Philip Breen and his wife Anne, who were naturalized in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1830
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Breen migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Breen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Breen, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
Eliza Breen, aged 27, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
Ann Breen, aged 6, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
Patrick Breen, aged 4, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
James Breen, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Breen migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Breen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Martin Breen, (b. 1798), aged 25, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for being and Irish rebel, transported aboard the "Castle Forbes" on 28th September 1823, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1830 6
Mr. Michael Breen, (b. 1786), aged 40, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Boyne" on 28th October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. John Breen, (b. 1804), aged 32, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for manslaughter, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1875 8
Mr. Thomas Breen, (b. 1827), aged 16, Irish labourer who was convicted in Fermanagh, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Constant" on 9th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1848 9
John Breen, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Countess of Yarborough" in 1850 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Breen migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Breen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Michael Breen, aged 32, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Schiehallion" in 1872
John Breen, (b. 1845), aged 30, British labourer departing on November 18th 1874 aboard the ship "Rakaia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand, on 7th February 1875
Andrew Breen, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Clarence" in 1875
John Breen, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hurunui" in 1877
Bessy Breen, aged 20, a cook, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Breen (post 1700) +

Bobby Breen (1927-2016), born Isadore Borsuk, Canadian-born, American actor and singer
Stephen Paul Breen (b. 1970), American nationally syndicated cartoonist who twice won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, in 1998 and 2009
Joseph I. Breen (1890-1965), American film censor
George Breen (b. 1935), American Olympic freestyle swimmer
Fred M. Breen, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1930; Candidate for Circuit Judge in Michigan 28th Circuit, 1941, 1947 12
Francis J. Breen, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Bridgeport, 1918 12
Edward Joseph Breen (1899-1978), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1936; Member of Iowa State Senate, 1937-41; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Iowa 6th District, 1942 12
Edward Grimes Breen (1908-1991), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Dayton, Ohio, 1945-48; U.S. Representative from Ohio 3rd District, 1949-51 12
Dorothy Breen, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2000 12
Dennis A. Breen, American politician, Independent Candidate for U.S. Senator from New Jersey, 2000 12
... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Breen family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. James Irving Breen (1892-1917), Canadian Able Seaman aboard the HMCS Musquash from Spanish Ship Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 13
Mr. Samuel Gordon Breen (1895-1917), Canadian Stoker aboard the HMCS Musquash from Spanish Ship Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 13

HMS Royal Oak

John Breen, British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 14

RMS Lusitania

Mr. James Breen, English Leading Fireman from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 15

The Breen 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

Sources +

O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
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)
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 2nd January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/castle-forbes
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Boyne
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/constant
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) COUNTESS OF YARBOROUGH 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850CountessYarborough.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 3rd November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/