The MacBreen Family Name

Seen on a birth certificate or a ship's manifest, MacBreen is usually a form of Breen. Name scholars give the meaning as “Descendant of Braon ("sorrow" or "moisture")”.

• Related forms: O'Breen and Brien.
• Census takers and immigration officers often wrote what they heard.
• The Mac in front of the name is a particle that was often added to Breen in records.

Arms associated with the name

Arms linked to Breen and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to. For the full story, order the MacBreen surname pack.