History of your Surname
Get access to O%27brien family records.Start a free trial

O%27brien Family History

O%27brien Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Briain ‘descendant of Brian’, a personal name probably based on the element bre- ‘hill’, with the transferred sense ‘eminence’, i.e. ‘exalted one’. See also Bryan. In Ireland there has also been some confusion with O’Byrne (see Byrne).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Mcbrien, Brian, Mcbreen, O'quinn, O'beirne, Breen, Brien, O'banion

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the O%27brien family from?

You can see how O%27brien families moved over time by selecting different census years. The O%27brien family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most O%27brien families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 4,737 O%27brien families living in New York. This was about 21% of all the recorded O%27brien's in USA. New York had the highest population of O%27brien families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the O%27brien surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your O%27brien ancestors do for a living?

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your O%27brien ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

What O%27brien family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name O%27brien. Like a window into their day-to-day life, O%27brien census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for O%27brien

Passenger Lists

There are 199,000 immigration records available for the last name O%27brien. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all O%27brien immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 183,000 military records available for the last name O%27brien. For the veterans among your O%27brien ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all O%27brien military records

You've only scratched the surface of O%27brien family history

Discover More

What is the average O%27brien lifespan?

Between 1991 and 2004, in the United States, O%27brien life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1993, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for O%27brien in 1991 was 71, and 61 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for O%27brien

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the O%27brien family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the O%27brien last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial