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O'brien Family History

O'brien Surname 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

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Where is the O'brien family from?

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

What did your O'brien ancestors do for a living?

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

What O'brien family records will you find?

Census Records

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

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Passenger Lists

There are 199,000 immigration records available for the last name O'brien. 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.

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Draft Cards

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

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What is the average O'brien lifespan?

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

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for O'brien

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