Origins of the O Brien surname

About the O Briens

We have a total of 275107 records for people with the last name O Brien.

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search
    Start free trial
    “
    I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
    SS
    Stuart
    1 of 3

    Start your family tree

    Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the O Briens.

    Sign up to get started

    Delve deeper into the O Brien family's history

    OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 561North West 391Isle of Man 22Yorkshire 854East Midlands 109West Midlands 171East 276London 3666South East 768South West 1169South Wales 171Mid Wales 39West Wales 1North Wales 43Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

    In 1921, most O Briens lived in london

    Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

    190,000 O Brien Travel & migration records
    82,000 O Briens found in all Census records

    Interesting facts about O brien

    How common is your surname?

    You have a rare surname! It's not in the top 1000 UK surnames!

    We have for the O brien surname. The oldest one dates back to 1575.

    Who were O briens most likely to marry?

    Our tell us which families married O briens.

    What are the most common O brien first names?

    John

    James

    Mary

    Margaret

    Our tell us the names of O brien family members
    Man with milk churns and census card collage
    Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

    Common jobs for O briens

    Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

    Commmon female occupations for O briens in 1921

    Domestic Servant

    284

    Laundress

    283

    Charwoman

    262

    Dressmaker

    252

    Tailoress

    209

    Commmon male occupations for O briens in 1921

    General Labourer

    747

    Tailor

    399

    Dock Labourer

    377

    Coal Miner

    315

    Semiskilled Chauffeurs And Drivers

    220

    We found over 130,000 family trees with the O brien surname

    Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the O briens.

    Search for a relative in our family trees

    Learn more about the lives of O brien family members

    How rare is your surname?

    Have you ever wondered if your family na...

    The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

    Could your surname be on the brink of di...

    English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

    Ever wondered where our last names come...

    How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

    Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

    4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

    Starting your family history journey is...

    Share your discoveries

    Share to WhatsApp

    Share to Facebook

    Look for a different surname