O'Brain Surname

6,360,413th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 9 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Costa Rica

O'Brain Surname Definition:

(Celtic) Descendant of Bran = the Raven [v. O’-, and + the genit., brain, of Old Irish and Old Gaelic bran, a raven] There has been some little confusion with O'Brien.

2 (occasionally) the Oaks-Wood [M.

Read More About This Surname

O'Brain Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States51:72,491,7871,102,614
Australia21:13,497,850222,987
England21:27,859,030389,889
Nigeria21:88,571,379625,098
Costa Rica11:4,780,06913,345
Ghana11:27,020,69223,742
South Africa11:54,177,704343,732
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland11:4,429,86640,727
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England21:12,187,685173,419
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States201:2,510,934119,518

O'Brain (9) may also be a first name.

O'Brain Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

(Celtic) Descendant of Bran = the Raven [v. O’-, and + the genit., brain, of Old Irish and Old Gaelic bran, a raven] There has been some little confusion with O'Brien.

2 (occasionally) the Oaks-Wood [M.E, okes, oaks + holt, Old English holt, a wood]

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(Celtic) Descendant of Bran = the Raven There has been some little confusion with O'Brien.

2 (occasionally) the Oaks-Wood

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

O'Brain Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name O'Brain Come From? nationality or country of origin

The surname O'Brain is borne by more people in The United States than any other country/territory. It can also be rendered in the variant forms:. Click here for further possible spellings of this last name.

How Common Is The Last Name O'Brain? popularity and diffusion

This last name is the 6,360,413th most frequently held family name in the world, borne by approximately 1 in 809,727,324 people. The surname occurs predominantly in The Americas, where 67 percent of O'Brain live; 56 percent live in North America and 56 percent live in Anglo-North America. It is also the 3,941,740th most numerous given name throughout the world It is held by 9 people.

It is most numerous in The United States, where it is borne by 5 people, or 1 in 72,491,787. In The United States it is most numerous in: Alabama, where 20 percent live, Arkansas, where 20 percent live and Colorado, where 20 percent live. Besides The United States this last name exists in 6 countries. It is also common in Australia, where 22 percent live and England, where 22 percent live.

O'Brain Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The incidence of O'Brain has changed over time. In The United States the number of people carrying the O'Brain last name contracted 75 percent between 1880 and 2014.

O'Brain Last Name Statistics demography

The religious adherence of those holding the surname is predominantly Catholic (100%) in Ireland.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
O'Braien932/
O'Braint931/
Obrain9275/
O'Brin922/
O'Bran921/
O'Brien86189,365/
O'Bryan863,662/
O'Brian862,568/
O'Broin86259/
O'Brion8694/
O'Brein8691/
O'Brine8667/
Obraint8616/
O'Brand863/
O'Braun863/
O'Brink862/
Obraien861/
O'Brant861/
O'Brean861/
O'Bryin861/
Osbrain861/
O'Brane860/
Obran83514/
Obrin83185/
O'Brient8012/
O'Briene802/
O'Brayan802/
O'Briean801/
O'Bryann801/
Hobraian801/
O'Bhroin801/
O'Breein800/
O'Breine800/
O'Brieen800/
Obrien77130,386/
Gobran775,922/
Gobrin77885/
Obrand77293/
Obrion77278/
Obrein77237/
Abrain77102/
Obrine7796/
Obroin7796/
Obrant7779/
Obrink7728/
Obring7715/
Hobran7711/
Obrayn778/
O'Bren775/
Obrina775/
Obrean775/
O'Bryn773/
Oubran772/
Obraen771/
Obraun771/
Obrisn771/
Obrđan771/
Osbrin771/
Obrrin771/
Obrane770/
Obrgan770/
Obryin770/
Goubran712,495/
Oubraim711,268/
Obrejan71716/
Obretin71654/
Gobrien71238/
O'Bryon71117/
O'Bryen7168/
Obrient7168/
O'Bryne7146/
Hobring7133/
Obrijan7131/
Oobrien7126/
Obrayen7116/
Hobrink7116/
O'Breen7115/
Obrandt7114/
Obrayan7113/
Obriyan717/
Obritin717/
Gabrain716/
Abrasin714/
Oibrien714/
Abrhain714/
Obreine713/
Obriend713/
Osbring713/
O'Briem712/
Obreien712/
Obrrien712/
O'Brienová712/
Goubrin712/
Habrain712/
Obraynt711/
Obrađan711/
Obriean711/
Obrienn711/
Obroien711/
Obryhin711/
Houbran711/
Hobraim711/
Hobranc711/
Oïbrien711/
Obréjan711/
O'Broen711/
Abraine711/
Abrajin711/
Aubrain711/
Oubrane711/
Abraion711/
Hobrien711/
O'Brene710/
Obriene710/
Obreant710/
Oubrien710/
Obriyen710/
Obriein710/
Gobrean710/
Obreyan710/
Obrrand710/
Abran673,955/
Abrin67556/
Obren67102/
Obrinová6747/
Obram6731/
O'Bryhim6729/
O'Breham6724/
Obryn6717/
Obrim6713/
Ossbring677/
Ovrin676/
Gobrn675/
Obrayant674/
Abraasin674/
Oubraiim674/
Abrijain673/
Obranova672/
Obroyant672/
O'Brynne672/
Obrán672/
Obrne671/
Oobrient671/
Osbrn671/
Uobrandt671/
Obrinova671/
Obriyant671/
Obrín671/
Abrahtin671/
Obryhine670/

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to O'Brain
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis