Find out how popular the last name Breslin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Breslin.

Breslin, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Breslin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Breslin in America

Breslin is the 7418th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Breslin surname appeared 4,490 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Breslin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Breslin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Breslin

The surname Breslin is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'Brasalain", meaning "descendant of Brasalan". The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th century in County Kilkenny, Ireland.

The Breslin name is thought to be associated with the ancient Irish clan of O'Brassil, who were lords of the territory of Fassadinin, located in what is now County Kilkenny. The clan's ancestral home was the town of Fassadinin, and the name O'Brassil is derived from the Irish words "bras" meaning "attack" or "onset" and "daine" meaning "men".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Breslin name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention an individual named Domhnall O'Brasalain who died in 1348.

Another notable early record of the name is found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of public records from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. These records mention a John O'Brassill who was pardoned by Queen Elizabeth I in 1588.

Prominent individuals with the Breslin surname throughout history include:

1. Terence Breslin (1940-2018), an Irish actor best known for his roles in films such as "The Commitments" and "The Field".

2. Patrick Breslin (1888-1937), an American writer and journalist who covered World War I and the Mexican Revolution.

3. James E. Breslin (1897-1967), an American Catholic prelate who served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn from 1954 to 1967.

4. Jimmy Breslin (1928-2017), an American journalist and author who won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1986.

5. Dermot Breslin (1969-present), an Irish singer and musician who has performed with the band The Troubles.

The Breslin name has also been associated with various place names, such as Breslin Castle, a medieval fortification located in County Kilkenny, Ireland, and Breslin's Folly, a historic building in New York City named after its owner, a man named Breslin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Breslin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Breslin.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Breslin was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Breslin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Breslin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Breslin, please contact us.

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