The bracken Surname
bracken Name Meaning and History
- Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Breacáin ‘descendant of Breacán’, a personal name from a diminutive of breac ‘speckled’, ‘spotted’, which was borne by a 6th-century saint who lived at Ballyconnel, County Cavan, and was famous as a healer; St. Bricin’s Military Hospital, Dublin is named in his honor.
- English: topographic name from Middle English braken ‘bracken’ (from Old English bræcen or Old Norse brakni), or a habitational name from a place named with this word, such as Bracken in East Yorkshire or Bracon Ash in Norfolk.
- German: especially in the north, probably a topographic name from Middle Low German brake ‘brushwood’, ‘fallow land’, ‘copse’, an element of many field and place names.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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