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

Bresnahan, 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 Bresnahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bresnahan in America

Bresnahan is the 8975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bresnahan surname appeared 3,646 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bresnahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bresnahan 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 Bresnahan

The surname Bresnahan has its origins in Ireland, where it emerged in the 16th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Breashnahan," which translates to "descendant of Breasnachan." The name Breasnachan itself is derived from the Gaelic word "breas," meaning "respected" or "illustrious."

The Bresnahan surname is predominantly found in the counties of Limerick and Tipperary, indicating that the family likely originated from these regions. Historical records suggest that the name may have also been anglicized as "Breshnahan" or "Brenahan" in some instances.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the 1659 Census of Ireland, which lists several individuals with the surname Bresnahan residing in County Limerick. Additionally, the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of administrative records from the 16th century, mentions a individual named "Cornelius O'Bresnahan" in 1577.

Prominent historical figures with the surname Bresnahan include Michael Bresnahan (1762-1837), an Irish-born American Revolutionary War soldier who served in the Continental Army. Another notable individual was John Bresnahan (1865-1937), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from North Dakota.

In the literary realm, John Bresnahan (1925-2004) was an American author and journalist known for his works on the American West. Edward Bresnahan (1896-1976) was an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Among the notable places associated with the Bresnahan surname is the Bresnahan Estate in County Tipperary, which dates back to the 17th century and was once owned by a prominent branch of the family.

It is worth noting that while the surname Bresnahan has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant Irish diaspora populations, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bresnahan

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

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 Bresnahan 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 Bresnahan 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 Bresnahan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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