Balbirnie Family History
Balbirnie Surname Meaning
from Balbirnie in Markinch (Fife) which is recorded as Balebrenin in 1165–71 Balebranin in 1204–28 and Balbrenny in 1293 or from Balbirnie in Ruthven (Angus) which is recorded thus in 161.
The place-names both mean ‘farm of the damp place’ deriving from Gaelic baile ‘farmstead settlement’ + braon ‘drizzle ooze moisture’ + the locative suffix -in.
from Balbirnie in Markinch (Fife) which is recorded as Balebrenin in 1165–7.
Source: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, 2021
