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Brennan Family History

Brennan Surname Meaning

Irish:: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Branáin or Mac Branáin ‘descendant (or son) of Branán’ a personal name meaning ‘little raven’.

Anglicized form of Ó Braonáin ‘descendant of Braonán’ a personal name based on a diminutive of braon ‘drop’.

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Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Brennan family from?

You can see how Brennan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brennan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brennan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 948 Brennan families living in Lancashire. This was about 39% of all the recorded Brennan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Brennan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brennan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Brennan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Brennan. 17% of Brennan men worked as a General Labourer and 63% of Brennan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brennan were Bricklayer and Cotton Weaver.

View Census Data for Brennan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Builders Labourer
    8%
  • Dock Labourer
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    63%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Cotton Weaver
    2%

What Brennan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 378,000 census records available for the last name Brennan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brennan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brennan

Passenger Lists

There are 82,000 immigration records available for the last name Brennan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Brennan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 69,000 military records available for the last name Brennan. For the veterans among your Brennan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Brennan family history

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What is the average Brennan lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Brennan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Brennan in 1940 was 40, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brennan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brennan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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