History of your Surname
Get access to O'brein family records.Start a free trial

O'brein Family History

O'brein Name Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: O'brien, O'brion, O'brian, O'bryan, O'bryon, Dobrin, Oren, O'ryan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the O'brein family from?

You can see how O'brein families moved over time by selecting different census years. The O'brein family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most O'brein families were found in USA in 1880. In 1880 there were 39 O'brein families living in New York. This was about 23% of all the recorded O'brein's in USA. New York had the highest population of O'brein families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the O'brein surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your O'brein ancestors do for a living?

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your O'brein ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

What O'brein family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 7,000 census records available for the last name O'brein. Like a window into their day-to-day life, O'brein census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for O'brein

Passenger Lists

There are 704 immigration records available for the last name O'brein. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all O'brein immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 863 military records available for the last name O'brein. For the veterans among your O'brein ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all O'brein military records

You've only scratched the surface of O'brein family history

Discover More

What is the average O'brein lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the O'brein family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the O'brein last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial