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

O'Briant, 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 O'Briant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Briant in America

O'Briant is the 20574th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Briant surname appeared 1,288 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname O'Briant.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Briant 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 O'Briant

The surname OBRIANT is of Irish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Counties of Mayo and Galway, where it was derived from the Gaelic personal name "Ó Briain," meaning "descendant of Brian."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the OBRIANT name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. This document mentions several individuals bearing variations of the name, such as O'Briant and O'Bryan.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the OBRIANT surname was prominently associated with the Gaelic aristocracy in County Mayo. Notable figures from this era include Terence OBRIANT (1633-1702), a Catholic landowner and military leader, and Donough OBRIANT (1670-1749), a wealthy merchant and landowner.

In the 19th century, the OBRIANT name gained recognition through the literary works of the Irish novelist and playwright, Michael OBRIANT (1804-1872). His novels, such as "The Repealers" and "The Whiteboy," provided insightful depictions of Irish rural life and the struggles of the Catholic population under British rule.

Another influential figure was William OBRIANT (1832-1910), a prominent Irish-American politician and lawyer. Born in County Galway, he emigrated to the United States and served as a member of the Massachusetts State Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

The OBRIANT surname also has ties to several historical place names in Ireland. For instance, the townland of Obriant in County Mayo is derived from the surname, as well as the now-obsolete placename "Obriantsfort" in County Galway, once referring to a fortified residence of the OBRIANT family.

Throughout its history, the OBRIANT surname has undergone various spellings, such as O'Briant, O'Bryan, O'Brian, and O'Byrne, reflecting the fluidity of Irish naming conventions and the influence of anglicization. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the patronymic tradition of Irish surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Briant

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Briant.

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 O'Briant 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 O'Briant 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 O'Briant was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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