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O-brien Family History

O-brien Surname 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, Mcbrien, Brien, Gabriel, Dobrin, Bien, Marien, Briel, Brin

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the O-brien family from?

You can see how O-brien families moved over time by selecting different census years. The O-brien family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most O-brien families were found in USA in 1920. In 1881 there was 1 O-brien family living in Lanarkshire. This was 100% of all the recorded O-brien's in Scotland. Lanarkshire had the highest population of O-brien families in 1881.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the O-brien 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 O-brien ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named O-brien. 100% of O-brien women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for O-brien | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What O-brien family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name O-brien. Like a window into their day-to-day life, O-brien census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for O-brien

Passenger Lists

There are 199,000 immigration records available for the last name O-brien. 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 O-brien immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 183,000 military records available for the last name O-brien. For the veterans among your O-brien ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all O-brien military records

You've only scratched the surface of O-brien family history

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What is the average O-brien lifespan?

Between 1968 and 2004, in the United States, O-brien life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1978, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for O-brien in 1968 was 60, and 87 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for O-brien

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your O-brien 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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