The surname Byrne almost certainly has two derivations, while it has also spawned many variations.

The first derivation is from the Irish O’Birn. This means ‘a descendant of Biorn’, a name which came to Ireland with the Norse invaders. In Old Norse this name is written Björn, and it remains unchanged in modern Scandinavia, as in Björn BjÖrg. Björn originally meant ‘bear’ and was probably a descriptive nickname pertaining either to the appearance or to the fighting qualities of its holder.

The other derivation of Byrne is from the Irish O’Broin, which means ‘a descendant of Bran’. In Old Irish ‘bran’ meant ‘raven’. Thus originally this was probably a descriptive name or nickname, alluding either to the appearance or to some hoped-for quality of its holder. So, it is probable that many original Brans had very dark hair.

Through the centuries Byrne has been a major family name in East Leinster, and Byrnes have traditionally played a major role in resistance to English rule in Ireland.

Apart from the surname Byrne, there are many variations derived from the original Irish word ‘bran’. These include such names as MacBrinn (son of Brinn) and MacBrann (found mostly in County Clare). Braniff and O’Brani derive from the Irish Brandinbh, which is made up of the Irish words ‘bran’ (raven) and ‘dubh’ (black). This name is found mainly in County Down. The name Brann occurs in East Ulster. Another variation is MacBrannan, or Brannan, which is distinct from the more common name Brennan, whose roots are entirely different.

In rare cases Byrne has a purely English derivation. Byrne and Byron are variants for the place names Byram (a township in the parish of Brotherton in Yorkshire) and Byrom (a small settlement near Winwick in Lancashire). This rare derivation of the name Byrne goes back many centuries, the first mention of it occurring in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire (1240), where one Roger de Birum is listed. It is reported by Woulfe that Byram and Byron were sometimes used as English substitutes for Irish O’Byrne, etc, but most of the Byrams and Byrons are in fact derived from the Yorkshire and Lancashire place names.

The colourful Irish adventurer Miles Byrne (1780—1862), had one of the most unusual military careers of the nineteenth century. After joining the unsuccessful Irish rising which was defeated at the Battle of Vinegar Hill, he fled into hiding in the Wicklow Mountains. Here he met the great Irish leader Robert Emmet, who sent him to Paris to raise support. Napoleon gave Byrne a commission, and he then served with distinction in several of Bonaparte’s famous campaigns. Byrne was eventually made Chef de Bataillon and given the Legion of Honour. Today a monument marks his tomb in Montmartre cemetery.

Contrary to popular misconception, Scotland’s national poet ‘Rabbie’ Burns (1759—86), (author of ‘Auld Lang Syne’), is not a Byrne. His name comes from Burness. The emphasis in this name is on the first syllable and ‘Rabbie’s’ family shortened it to Burns.

One of the stars of the Women’s Lib movement in America is Jane Byrne. In 1979 she took on the powerful Democratic Party system in Chicago and to the surprise of the pundits was elected the first woman Mayor of one of America’s toughest cities.

The most celebrated of Romantic poets was Lord Byron (1788—1824). His long autobiographical poem, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, brought him fame and fortune. His subsequent notorious behaviour led him to live in self- imposed exile, in Switzerland and in Italy, where he met Shelley and Keats, and where he wrote his great satiric epic, Don Juan. He finally died while on an expedition to Greece to fight against the Turks for Greek independence.

Byrness in Northumbria is the only town containing the word Byrne.

In England, Scotland and Wales Byrne is not common enough to be counted separately. In Ireland, with about 35,000 namesakes, Byrne is the 7th most popular surname. Around the world Byrnes are most common in Auckland (one in 618 families) and in Sydney (one in 874). In the United States there are an estimated 32,000 Byrnes-making this their 991st most popular surname.